by Shavon Perkins
staff associate

At a celebration dinner Nov. 3, Chancellor Blanche Touhill, along with James H. Buford, President and CEO of The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, will be honored as the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater St. Louis 1999 Legacy Award Recipients.

The Legacy Award was created by Big Brothers Big Sisters in 1996 to honor individuals for their life-long contributions to the St. Louis community and, in particular, for their commitment to children.

Reggie Williams, director of Marketing and Communications said,"These recipients are two individuals that we feel share our mission, and we want to honor them and share in their accomplishments."

Williams said that the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to empower youth through mentoring, and to develop a sense of self-worth and responsibility.

"These Legacy Award recipients exemplify our commitment to this mission and to the children of St. Louis," Williams said.

Williams said the Board of Directors selects recipients based on who would best represent the agency.

"We have been very observant of her career," Williams said. "Blanche is everywhere, on top of everything. She has done revolutionary things internally with programming at UM-St. Louis, and she has always acted as a resource with the agency. She has helped us in terms of steering us, offering advice, and supporting us in the direction of the agency."

Williams said that for the past 15 years the University has sent many interns to the program, some of whom are still with the agency in important positions. Since Touhill has been the Chancellor, that tradition has continued.

"As Legacy Award recipients, Touhill and Buford will join as advisors to the agency," Williams said.

Past Legacy Award recipients include, in 1996, JoAnn Harmon, corporate vice president for executive compensation and corporate administrator for St. Louis-based Emerson Electric, and John E. Jacob, executive vice president and chief communication officer for Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.; in 1997, Charmaine S. Chapman, president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis, and Terry E. Schnuck, secretary and general counsel for Schnuck Markets, Inc.; and in 1998, Donna Wilkinson, president of The Wilkinson Group, and John Moten Jr., vice president of community relations for Laclede Gas.