Lynchburg College Alumni Association
T. Gibson Hobbs Memorial Award
Inaugurated in 1948, the T. Gibson Hobbs Memorial Award is given each year "for meritorious service" to those "who through the years, by outstanding Christian service and constructive contributions to human welfare, in spirit have revealed and in achievements notably exemplified those noble qualities that bring credit to alma mater and praise from fellow alumni."
The late Thomas Gibson Hobbs, a member of the first graduating Class of 1904, was a peer among his fellow alumni in devotion, in loyalty and in service. He exemplified in full measure the purposes, the ideals and the principles for which our alma mater stands.
In 1915, Mr. Hobbs was elected to membership on the Board of Trustees of Lynchburg College. Three years later, in 1918, he was elected president of the Board of Trustees and held this responsible office for over twenty-four years, until his death in 1942. The College was deep in his affection, and he gave himself to its interests with abandon. No call upon him by the College was too trivial, too great, or too demanding. He gave unreservedly of his time, his abilities, and his professional services to promoting the interests of his alma mater.
Mr. Hobbs had four great loves and interests which consumed his time and energies-his home, his church, his alma mater, and his community. In relation to each of these he played an exemplary Christian role. He was held in affectionate esteem and eminent respect by all who knew him as a friend and Christian gentleman.
It is fitting and proper, therefore, that the recognition to be given alumni selected for their services to humanity should be known as the Thomas Gibson Hobbs Memorial Award.
Serious consideration will be given individuals who:
1. Attended Lynchburg College for at least two years and graduated from an accredited college or university at least ten years prior to their selection.
2. Meet the basic guidelines for selection established at the inception of the award in 1948. Individual must display an exemplary record of service in three areas to which Mr. Hobbs devoted his life: church, alma mater, and community.
Any former regular student in attendance at Lynchburg College for at least one regular session is eligible to make nominations. All nominations are kept confidential and should be submitted in writing no later than January 1 of each calendar year. Official nomination forms should be requested from:
Office of Alumni Programs
Lynchburg College
1501 Lakeside Drive
Lynchburg, Virginia 24501
434/544-8293, 800/621-1669
FAX 434/544-8653
Guidelines for the T. Gibson Hobbs Memorial Award
Eligibility Requirements:
1. A recipient must be a Lynchburg College graduate or have attended Lynchburg College for at least two years, and graduated from an accredited college or university at least ten (10) years prior to his/her selection.
2. The Hobbs Award Selection Committee shall be free to consider recommending posthumous awards in rare cases.
3. Current Alumni Board, alumni faculty and staff members are eligible to receive the award.
Criteria for Selection:
1. Each recipient of the Thomas Gibson Hobbs Memorial Award must display, as did Mr. T. Gibson Hobbs 1904, an exemplary record of service in each of these areas: church (interpreted in as broad an ecumenical manner as deemed appropriate), community, and alma mater. Outstanding service in one or two of the three areas is not sufficient.
2. The Hobbs Award Selection Committee and the Alumni Board of Directors need to be ever cognizant of the fact that the T. Gibson Hobbs Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an alumnus or alumna of the college, and constantly strive to present the Hobbs Award only to individuals who are thoroughly qualified and deserving of this high honor.
Nominations:
1. Any former student of Lynchburg College who was in attendance for at least one regular session (one year) as a regular student is eligible to nominate a person for the award.
2. Each alumnus and alumna shall be encouraged to nominate any other qualified alumnus or alumna. Nominations must be received by January 1 of any year. Each year the members of the Alumni Board of Directors shall be asked for their suggestions of ways to increase nominations for the award.
Annual Selection Process:
1. Normally one recipient will be selected each year; however, in no case will more than three (3) awards be given in a year.
2. The use of the current nomination form shall be continued, but the first paragraph must contain items numbered one in Eligibility Requirements and numbered one in Criteria for Selection or clearly reflect the intent of these two items.
3. If an evaluation sheet is used by the Hobbs Award Selection Committee to rate numerically the nominees, it will contain spaces for rating each candidate for contributions to church, community, and alma mater, as well as a space for over-all rating.
Example Rating:
Name/ Address/ Class/ Church/ Community/ Alma Mater/ Over-all
_______________ ______ _______ __________ ________ ______
(Two copies of the rating sheet will be sent to each committee member so that one copy may be used as a work sheet by the committee member.)
4. If the Hobbs Award Selection Committee continues to rate numerically the nominees, it is strongly recommended that the Alumni Board of Directors not select any nominee to be a recipient of the Hobbs Award unless the nominee received an overall rating of one, two, or three, by four of the six members of the Hobbs Award Selection Committee.
5. If a nomination form is submitted without adequate information, the executive secretary of the Alumni Association will return the form to the nominator with the suggestion that the nominator contact other individuals who might be able to provide more information. If the executive secretary knows of anyone who might possess such information, he/she will inform the nominator.
6. The executive secretary of the Alumni Association will furnish to each member of the Hobbs Award Selection Committee any pertinent information, which he/she may know or have concerning a nominee if this information is not included on the nomination form. The executive secretary is able to provide information concerning the nominee's past participation as a worker and/or contributor to the annual fund, service on the Lynchburg College Board of Trustees, Lynchburg College Board of Overseers, and the Alumni Board of Directors, etc. This type of information could be very valuable to the Hobbs Award Selection Committee.
7. The president of the Alumni Association will appoint the Hobbs Award Selection Committee each year. The committee will be composed of three (3) persons who have received the Hobbs Award and three (3) persons who have not received the award. The three (3) persons who have not received the award will be chosen from the current Alumni Board of Directors. The president will make every effort to assure that the younger alumni group is represented on this committee.
8. The Hobbs Award Selection Committee will meet at least once with the executive secretary of the Alumni Association prior to submitting its nomination to the Alumni Board of Directors.
9. The Hobbs Award Selection Committee will establish its own procedures for selection of a nominee, recognizing that the Alumni Board of Directors has final authority in choosing the nominee for the Hobbs Award. When the committee establishes its procedures, the committee will be careful not to violate any of the above recommendations.
10. The guidelines will be reviewed at least every five (5) years, and the president of the Alumni Association will appoint a committee for this review.
Presentation of Award:
1. It is preferable for a recipient to be present to receive the award, but if this is impossible, a representative may receive the award on behalf of a recipient.
2. The award is to be continued on an annual basis with the presentation being made at the annual Alumni Association Meeting.
3. The announcement of the recipient shall be made prior to the presentation of the award.
4. The statement prepared in 1948 regarding Mr. T. Gibson Hobbs shall be read annually at the time of the presentation of the award.
5. A recipient shall also be recognized at the annual Commencement ceremony each spring when the President of the Alumni Association speaks to graduating students.
6. Previous recipients in attendance at the annual Hobbs Award ceremony shall be formally recognized.
7. The Lynchburg College Magazine annually shall have at least one special feature about the Hobbs Award and its history. Previous recipients will be listed in this article, and this special feature will be in addition to the annual article, which requests nominations for the award.
8. The Office of Alumni Programs will recapitulate the T. Gibson Hobbs Award annually at the Westover Alumni Society Banquet (formerly Pioneer Banquet) on Westover Alumni Society Weekend (formerly Pioneer Weekend) and whenever possible recognize Westover Alumni Society (formerly Pioneer Weekend) members in attendance who are former Hobbs Award recipients.
9. Whenever possible, a complete listing of previous recipients will be included in any written announcements or articles relating to the award.
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For your information: further information on each of the above guidelines or recommendations are available from the Office of Alumni Programs.