From the GPLA banquet program describing the award...

"The Philadelphia Award committee meets several times before the annual banquet to carefully consider the qualifications of all nominees.

Over the years, this selection committee has reviewed hundreds of outstanding candidates. It should be understood that this is not an award to be 'earned', nor is someone's title, affluence, or position within the industry the criteria by which candidates are selected.

Rather, the committee endeavors to identify those individuals whose efforts and dedication truly represent the building blocks of progress for the entire industry. In the end, the committee is faced with the awesome task of selecting that one unique person who best exemplifies the characteristics and dedication that The Philadelphia Award embodies."

 

Recipients of the Philadelphia Award

1953 Barney Zion - New York, NY 1970 William Zipf - Columbus, OH 1993 Breck Camp - Atlanta, GA
1954 Joseph Carson - Philadelphia, PA 1971 Ted Johnstone - New Baltimore, MI 1994 Dee Bucha - Beeville, TX
1954 Robert Rognon - New York, NY 1971 John C. Miller - Washington, D.C. 1995 Henry Printz - Morristown, NJ
1955 Herman Hensler, Jr. - Phila., PA 1972 Constant Maffey - Elizabeth, NJ 1996 G.L. Gerry Finch - Torrance, CA
1955 Robert Argens - Seattle, WA 1973 Sal Schillizzi - New York, NY 1997 Brian Costley - Nicholasville, KY
1955 Robert Racliffe - Springfield, MA 1974 Wiegand Jensen - Youngstown, OH 1998 James H. Glazier - Mount Airy, MD
1955 Leonard Singer - Woodridge, NJ 1975 Lee Rognon - New York, NY 1999 Steve Young - Pensacola, FL
1956 Lee Rognon - New York, NY 1976 Robert McGowen - Chicago, IL 2001 John Greenan - Chicago, IL
1956 Ernest Johannesen - Baltimore, MD 1977 Rex Parmelee - Nicholasville, KY 2002 Allan Halverson - Nicholasville, KY
1957 Harry C. Miller - Rochester, NY 1978 Charles Hutherington - Dallas, TX 2003 James M. Watt - Missoula, MT
1957 Edwin Topfer - Milwaukee, WI 1979 Bill Reed - Des Plaines, IL 2004 Martin Arnold - Pennsauken, NJ
1958 Steve Fallshaw - London, UK 1980 Lawrence M. McCall - Pennsgrove, CA 2005 Mark Miller - Nicholasville, KY
1958 John McLindon - Washington, D.C. 1981 Ken Troy - Fanwood, NJ 2006 Gale Johnson - Chicago, IL
1959 Robert A. Nelson - Philadelphia, PA 1982 Ken Ehrenreich - Ft. Lauderdale, FL 2007 William B. Neff - Lancaster, PA
1960 Leo Kotch - White Plains, NY 1983 Carey Parker - London, UK 2008 David Lowell - Dallas, TX
1961 Harold George - Milwaukee, WI 1984 Gerald C. Connelly, Jr. - Phila., PA 2009 Dallas Brooks - Auburn, AL
1962 John Weidman - Philadelphia, PA 1985 Joe Jackman - Kansas City, KS 2010 Thomas Demont - McMurray, PA
1963 Robert Bell - Bloomfield, NJ 1986 Evelyn Wersonick - Albuquerque, NM 2011 Jay E. Long - Port Townsend, WA
1964 Gerald C. Connelly, Jr. - Phila., PA 1987 Hans Mejlshede - Copenhagen, Denmark 2012 Clyde Roberson - Salem, VA
1965 Vince Vigil - Albuquerque, NM 1988 Billy B. Edwards - Salem, VA 2013 Skip Eckert - Medina, OH
1966 James L. Taylor - Rochester, NY 1989 Thomas Hennessy - Bristol, CT 2014 David O'Toole - Dublin, Ireland
1967 William Meacham - Pasadena, CA 1990 J. Clayton Miller - Nicholasville, KY 2015 Mark Bates - Nicholasville, KY
1968 Benjamin Silver - New York, NY 1991 Jack Barber - Devon, UK 2016 Don O'Shall - Beverly Hills, FL
1969 Robert Psolka - Cherry Hill, NJ 1992 A.J. Hoffman - Plantsville, KY 2017 Jerome Andrews - Cleveland, OH  
2018 Peter Field - Salem, VA  
2019 Joe Cortie - Lexington, KY  
2021 Phil Shearer - Hanover, MA  
2022 Tom Foxwell - Easton, MD