The Oak Cliff Lions Club Bill Melton Humanitarian Award is presented annually 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.
Lyda Hill 2020 and 2021 Entrepreneur, Philanthropist; President, Visiting Nurses Association; Founded, Volunteer Connection; Funded Garden of the Gods Visitors Center and Ft. Worth Stockyards; Member, “The Giving Pledge”; Pledged $50 million to M.D. Anderson Cancer Program; Linz Award

*deceased


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