News Release

For release Monday, September 29

Contact: Diane U. Eisenberg
(301) 562-9260

COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROFESSOR RECEIVES NATIONAL HUMANITIES MEDAL

David Berry Recognized by President Clinton for Leadership of
Community College Humanities Association

Washington, DC (September 29, 1997)—In a ceremony at The White House today, President and Mrs. Clinton presented the 1997 National Humanities Medal to David A. Berry, executive director, Community College Humanities Association (CCHA), and professor of history, Essex County College, Newark, NJ. Others receiving the award included philanthropist Paul Mellon, writer Maxine Hong Kingston, theologian Martin E. Marty and author Studs Terkel.

In presenting the award, President Clinton said, "David Berry and I share a goal in common—strengthening the humanities at community colleges. Under Professor Berry’s leadership, the Community College Humanities Association has done just that. It has strengthened two-year colleges’ general education curricula, introductory humanities courses and foreign language programs, and provided opportunities for community college faculty to pursue scholarship opportunities."

David Berry is the first community college educator to receive the prestigious National Humanities Medal. This recognition prompted tributes from education leaders across the country. "David’s contribution to the support and advancement of the humanities in our nation’s community colleges have been enormous and I can think of no one who is more deserving," said David Pierce, president, American Association of Community Colleges. "More than anyone else that I know, he has elevated the professional and academic status of faculty at two-year colleges," noted Steven Zwerling, program officer, Ford Foundation .

Dr. Constance Carroll, president, San Diego Mesa College and a member of the CCHA board of directors, Credits David Berry with steering the humanities through difficult times. "During some extremely lean and turbulent years in higher education, he was effective in obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for humanities projects. He has been tireless in providing a national voice for the humanities and continues to be instrumental in relating the humanities to the important policy issues and moral challenges facing America today."

Dr. A. Zachary Yamba, president, Essex County College, said, "I feel a great deal of pride for Essex County College which houses the Community College Humanities Association, and for the many students who have passed through David’s classroom and have had the opportunity to learn from him.

Rod A. Risley, executive director, Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, said, "We applaud President Clinton on his selection of David Berry, thereby recognizing the quality of instruction and humanities study found in our community colleges." Community colleges enroll more than 10 million students with fifty percent of all freshmen taking their first two years of college at these institutions.

The National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens’ engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to important resources in the humanities. Recipients are selected annually by the president of the United States, with assistance from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Community College Humanities Association is a national nonprofit organization whose members are both humanities faculty members and two-year institutions. The Association aims to strengthen the humanities in the nation’s 1,200 community colleges.

c/o Essex County Collegew303 University AvenuewNewark, New Jersey 07102-1798
(973) 877-3577wFax: (973) 877-3578
daberry@email.njin.net

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