The Oak Cliff Lions Club - Humanitarian Award

The Oak Cliff Lions Club Bill Melton Humanitarian Award is presented each year to recognize and honor a person (or persons) whose activities, contributions and service to the community, best symbolize the ideals of Lionism. The Award is usually given to non-Lions who have demonstrated dedication to Community, Profession, God and Mankind, that exemplifies the motto of Lions Clubs International, "We Serve". Modeled after the Lions Clubs International Humanitarian Award, the Oak Cliff Lions Club Humanitarian Award was Founded in 1978, by President Bill Melton. The Club Board of Directors re-named the Award in April 2010, in Honor of Melton.


Recipients of the award include:


Tom Landry*	1978	Coach, Dallas Cowboys; Super Bowl VI and XII Championship Teams; NFL Hall of Fame; Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leader; Horatio Alger Award
Bill Hunter*	1979	President, Dallas School Board; Community Leader; Attorney and one of original Owners of American Basketball Association Dallas Chaparrals Basketball team.
H. Ross Perot*	1980	Founder, Electronic Data Systems; United States Presidential Candidate; Dallas’ Perot Museum of Nature and Science; Horatio Alger Award; Linz Award
John Criswell	1981	News Anchor, WFAA Television; "Wednesday's Child" Leader
Ben Lipshy*	1982	Founder/President, Zales Corporation; Chief Executive, University Medical Center, Inc.; Dallas Civic and Charitable Leader
Buddy Minyard*	1983	Chairman/CEO, Minyard Food Stores; President, Dallas Retail Grocers; Leader, Dallas’ Scottish Rite Masonic Order; Community and Charitable Leader
Harold Schackman*	1985	Zales Oak Cliff Manager; Head of Zales’ Employees Retirement Program; “Tireless” Community Worker – known as “Mr. Oak Cliff”; Oak Cliff Lion
Dr. J.L. LaManna*	1990	DO; Chairman, Southwest Osteopathic Physicians, Inc.; Providing Millions of Dollars to some 150 non-profits in Oak Cliff; Dallas Baptist University Good Samaritan Award
Lillian Bradshaw*	1991	Director, Dallas Public Library; President, American and Texas Library Associations; First Married and Female Dallas Library Director
Dr. Charles Baxter*	1992	MD; Chairman, Parkland Hospital Burn Center; Founder, Skin-Graft Center at Parkland; JFK Parkland Emergency Room Notable, November 22,1963
Roger Staubach	1993	Former Dallas Cowboy; MVP, Super Bowl VI; NFL Hall of Fame; 1963 Heisman Trophy at Navy; Developer, Community Leader; Horatio Alger Award
Birdie Jackson*	1994	Foster Care Mother; Well known Community Worker; Birdie Jackson Foundation
Dan Eddy*	1994	Dallas Salvation Army Fund Raiser; Oak Cliff Justice of the Peace; Oak Cliff Lion
Dr. Charles Sprague*	1995	MD; Chairman/CEO, Southwestern Medical Foundation; Considered “Legend in Medicine”; three Endowment Chairs established in his Honor; Dallas Civic Leader
Rodger Meier*	1996	Chairman/CEO, Rodger Meier Cadillac; Civic Leader; Chair, Dallas Chamber; 1979 Dallas “Father of the Year”; Linz Award
Ebby Halliday Acers*	1997	Ebby Halliday Real Estate Founder; Philanthropic Leader; Texas Women’s Hall of Fame; President, North Dallas Chamber; Horatio Alger Award; Linz Award
Raymond Nasher*	1998	Philanthropist; Developer of NorthPark Center; World Renowned Art Collector; Dallas’ Nasher Sculpture Center; Linz Award
Robert S. Folsom*	1999	Mayor of Dallas; President, Dallas School Board; Chair, Methodist Hospital Board; Developer; Dallas Civic Leader; Only Four Sport Letterman in SMU History
Nancy Brinker	2000	Founder, Susan G. Komen Foundation; United States Ambassador to Hungary
Ruth Sharp Altshuler *	2001	National, Texas, and Dallas Philanthropic Leader; Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Awarded by Smithsonian Institute; Linz Award
Suzanne Duvall	2001	Created Texas Mediator Credentialing Association and Pioneered creation of modern practice of alternative dispute resolution for National legal profession
Martha Gilmore*	2001	Minister; Educator; Pioneer for Women’s Ministerial Rights; Served on Children’s, Inc., Girl’s Foundation of Dallas and Crossroads Community Services Boards
Canon Stephen Swann*	2001	Founder, Episcopal School of Dallas; Community Leader; Stephen B. Swann Athletic Center dedicated to Physical Fitness, one of Finest in United States
Liz Minyard	2002	President, Minyard Food Stores; Civic Leader; Chair, Dallas Chamber; Chair, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas; Helped Found North Texas Food Bank
J. McDonald Williams	2003	President and CEO, Trammel Crow Companies; Developer; Dallas Community Leader; Board Member, A. H. Belo Corporation; Linz Award
Chris Victor Semos*	2004	Texas State Representative; Dallas County Commissioner; Civic Leader; Chair, Texas Sesquicentennial Celebration; Owner, Torch Restaurant; Oak Cliff Lion
Lamar Hunt*	2005	Founder, American Football League, MLS, NASL and WCT; Owner, Kansas City Chiefs – Super Bowl IV Champions; Named Super Bowl; NFL Hall of Fame
Paul M. Bass, Jr.*	2006	Investment Banker; Medical Advocate; Parkland Hospital Chair; Linz Award
Dr. Wright L. Lassiter, Jr.*	2007	PhD; Chancellor, Dallas County Community College District; Former President, Dallas’ Bishop College; Chair, Dallas’ African American Museum Board
Peter Pauls Stewart *	2008	Founder, Dallas’ Thanks Giving Square; Leader in Dallas Multi-Religion Community; Dallas Civic Leader; Linz Award
T. Boone Pickens	2009	Oil and Energy Entrepreneur; Civic Philanthropist – Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Meals on Wheels, Oklahoma State University; Horatio Alger Award
Lindalyn B. Adams	2010	Leader behind Dallas’ Sixth Floor Museum, Old Red Courthouse Restoration, Dallas County Historical Landmark Program and Old City Park; Linz Award
Ruben Esquivel	2011	Chair, State Fair of Texas, Parkland Hospital Board of Managers, Dallas County Historical Foundation, Dallas Opera, YMCA of Metro Dallas, Oak Cliff Lion
Michael A. Jenkins	2012	President/Managing Director, Dallas Summer Musicals; President/Founder, LARC Entertainment Group; Co-Founder, Six Flags Parks; Winner, six Tony Awards
Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper	2013	MD; Author, “Aerobics”; Founder/President, Cooper Aerobics Center; created training for US Astronauts; trained 1970 Brazil Soccer Team to World Cup Championship
Dr. Jody Grant	2014	PhD; "Father" of Dallas' Klyde Warren Park; Nationally Known Banker/Economist; Dallas Civic Leader; All America Swimmer at SMU; Horatio Alger Award; Linz Award
Kay Bailey Hutchison	2015	United States Senator; Texas State Treasurer; Texas State Representative; Vice Chair, National Transportation Safety Board; Helped Repeal Wright Amendment
Gail and Robert Thomas	2016	Gail - President & CEO, The Trinity Trust; raised funding for Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott Bridges; Co-Founder, Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture. Robert - Past President, Dallas Bar Association; acquired property for Belo Mansion Dallas Bar Headquarters; Lead Counsel for DISD in Dallas Desegregation Case
Vivian Castleberry *	2017	First female editor and first female elected to Editorial Board at The Dallas Times Herald; Founder, Peacemakers, Inc., Dallas Women’s Center, Women’s Foundation.
Bill Melton	2018	Dallas County Treasurer; President, Goodwill Industries, WRR Radio, Oak Cliff Chamber, YMCA, Lions; Announcer, Olympics, 3 Super Bowls, Cowboys, SMU, 32 Cotton Bowls, 40 Texas Relays.
Dr. Phil Berry	2019	MD; Founded Careflite at Methodist Hospital and Southwest Transplant Foundation; organ transplant recipient; President, Dallas County and Texas Medical Associations; 1,200 anterior hip replacements.
*deceased