Don Capps Receives Award

Don Capps Receives Award

**********

Don Capps

Donald C. Capps Receives the Jefferson Award

by David Houck

**********

From the Editor: David Houck is the Treasurer of the NFB of

South Carolina and director of the Federation Center of the

Blind.

**********

On Monday afternoon, May 24, 1999, at the Embassy Suites in

Columbia, South Carolina, a special annual luncheon was hosted by

WLTX-TV 19, the CBS affiliate in Columbia, to bestow the

Jefferson Award for outstanding community service upon NFB of

South Carolina President Donald C. Capps and two other

recipients, Charlotte L. Berry and William L. Hamilton. The award

is sponsored by the American Institute for Public Service, which

was established by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Robert W. Taft,

Jr., in 1973. The invocation was offered by Dr. George E. Metze,

the Chaplin of the State Senate. The Honorable Bob Peeler, South

Carolina's Lieutenant Governor, also addressed the audience.

Brief video presentations of each of the three recipients, to be

aired later on WLTX, were screened during the ceremony. The

recipients were presented with their awards and made remarks to

the gathering, which were videotaped as well.

The program agenda spoke of Mr. Capps as follows: "Longtime

[NFB of South Carolina] President, Donald Capps began a legacy of

serving the blind which spans almost half a century. In 1953

Donald became interested in the organized blind movement and was

elected President of the Columbia Chapter of the National

Federation of the Blind, where he presently holds the office of

President of the NFB of South Carolina. One of Donald's major

accomplishments was the establishment of the South Carolina

Commission for the Blind as an independent agency in 1966. Among

his many activities Donald is editor of the Palmetto Blind, a

quarterly publication, and he also served as President of the

Forest Acres Rotary Club. He is currently working on a project

for the development of Rocky Bottom Camp of the Blind [the Ralph

M. Ellenburg, Sr., Lodge], where he serves as founder of the

camp. In respect for his many accomplishments the Federation

Center of the Blind named its fellowship hall in his honor for

his lifetime service to the blind."

Upon receiving this prestigious award, President Capps

thanked the South Carolina blind community, the National

Federation of the Blind of South Carolina, the Federation Center

of the Blind, the School for the Deaf and Blind, his faithful

wife Betty, and WLTX-TV 19 for its community-minded spirit.

The award is a large bronze medallion which displays on its

obverse an eagle with the words "Jefferson Award--American

Institute for Public Service," and the reverse side reads, "In

recognition of outstanding public service," and is signed by

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; R.W. Taft, Jr.; and Samuel S. Beard.

**********