The award acknowledges the contribution of an individual during the past year that made a positive contribution to public discourse on matters of social import. The award recipient need not have a direct relationship to intercollegiate debate, but must be someone who has made a significant difference in local, regional, national or international affairs.
Past Awardees
2007 Steven Colbert, Colbert Report
2008 Donna Shalala, University of Miami
2009 Nate Silver, 538.com
2010 Arthur N. Rupe
2011 Mark Parkinson, Governor, Kansas
2012 Gabe Cook, Director DEBATE-Kansas City
2013
2014 Glenn Greenwald
2015 Jonathan Alger, President, James Madison University
2016
2017
2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas students 2019 CV Vitolo-Haddad, University of Wisconsin
2020 **Not Awarded ? Tournament Canceled ? COVID-19**
2021 **Not Awarded ?COVID-19**