About the Award

The CBA Distinguished Public Service Award is given to a Connecticut resident, or a person with a meaningful relationship to Connecticut, who has made a significant contribution to society and has distinguished himself or herself in his or her profession.


Criteria

  • Current or former Connecticut resident or other significant and meaningful relationship to Connecticut
  • Usually non-lawyer

  • Distinguished self in his or her profession

  • Made significant contribution to society. This contribution should be in addition to or outside of a candidate's area of endeavor
  • Mandatory that recipient attends the Annual Dinner of Connecticut Bar Association to accept award.
  • Not necessarily an annual award


Past Recipients

1951   Richard Rogers
1952   Edward J. Hickey
1953   Helen A. Keller
1954   Igor I. Sikorsky, Sr.
1955   Marian Anderson
1956   Albert N. Jorgenson
1957   Ira V. Hirscock
1958   Roy E. Larsen
1959   Gov. Abraham Ribicoff
           William S. Gordon (posthumously)
           Ernest W. McCormick
           Elias Clark
           Charles W. Pettengill
1960   Lawrence Langner
1961   Dr. Francis J. Braceland
1962   Beatrice Fox Auerbach
1963   Gladden W. Baker
1964   Jack Roosevelt Robinson
1965   Norman Cousins
1966   Louis Schweitzer
1967   Henry R. Luce (posthumously)
1968   Hon. Raymond E. Baldwin
1969   John Hersey
1970   Hon. Philip C. Jessup
1971   William Benton
1972   Homer D. Babbidge
1973   Chase Going Woodhouse
1974   Roger Troy Peterson
1975   Dr. T. Stewart Hamilton
1976   Chester Bowles
1977   John J. McCloy
1978   Mother Bernadette of the Carmelite Order
1979   Eva LeGallienne
1980   Benny Goodman
1981   Barbara Wertheim Tuchman
1982   Harrison Salisbury
1983   Robert Penn Warren
1984   Professor Thomas
           Irwin Emerson

1985   William Manchester
1986   A. Bartlett Giamatti
1987   Malcolm Baldridge
1988   Stephen Joel Trachtenberg
1989   Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
1990   Walter Sullivan
1991   Lloyd Richards
1992   Dave Brubeck
1993   William A. O’Neill
1994   Arthur Miller
1995   Hon. Drew S. Days III
1996   Charles H. Kaman
1997   James L. Tobin
1998   David E.A. Carson
1999   James P. Comer, M.D.
2000   Anne Tyler Calabresi
2001   John L. Lahey
2002   Harold Hongju Koh
2003   Geno Auriemma
2004   Wally Lamb
2005   Dr. Henry C. Lee
2006   Faith Middleton
2007   Michael Bolton
2008   Colleen Zenk Pinter and Mark Pinter
2009   Mia Dillon
2010   Jim Calhoun
2011   Hon. Richard M. Blumenthal
2013   Ralph Nader
2015   Carlton L. Highsmith
2016   Sister Maureen Faenza and Sister Theresa Fonti
2017   E. Patricia Llodra
2018   Hon. Denise L. Nappier
2019   Hon. George C. Jepsen
2021   Rebecca Corbin Loree
            James M. Loree
2023   Denise W. Merrill