Evening star., 1938-12-05
journalism Prizes
To Be Awarded by
Columbia u.
Plaques ond Medals to
Recognize Services
Of the Press

Designed to encourage and to
recognize the services Of the press
as an agency Of public education"
. new set Of prizes donated by DR..
Godfrey Lowell Cabot Of Boston,
which will be awarded by the CO.
lumbia University School Of Jour-
nalism. was announced today by
Dean Carl w. Alderman In his an
nual report to President Nicholas
Murray Butler.
Each year two to five journalists
will receive the awards, which are
to be known as the Maria Moors
Cabot Prizes. They will be given
Ito publishers, editors or writer's in
the Western Hemisphere who, by
their professional achievements,
shall advance sympathetic UNDER
standing among the peoples of
South, Central and North America"
The first awards will be an
nounced early in 1889 for the pre-
vious calendar year, according to
the report. During the first year
the faculty of the School of Jour-
nalism will act as the committee of
award submitting selections to the
university trustees who will make
the awards. An international COM
mtttee Of award whose recon-.
mendations will represent "the
judgement of South. Central and
North American journalists and
educators" is planned for the Sec
ond year. Funds for administra-
ton Of the project and for the prizes
have been provided by DR.. Cabot
for a two-year period. II the re-
suits Of the trial period are sue
cessful, Dean Ackerman In his re-
port said the donor hopes to put
the prizes on more permanent
basis.
Dean Alderman in his report said
the agreement between the univer-
Sity trustees and DR.. Cabot provides
for liberal Interpretation Of public
service in journalism.
Exhibits to Be Basis.
"Whenever possible" Dean Ack-
erman continued, 1.-The awards will
be based upon exhibits of the ma
terial published which reveal that
through reporting, exposition, an
alysis, Interpretation or friendly
criticism the individual or the news
paper, press service or syndicate has
performed public service in jour-
nalism by advancing public knowl-
edge and understanding among the
peoples Of this hemisphere"
Prizes consisting of bronze plaques
will be awarded to newspapers,
press services and syndicates, while
an l8-carat gold medal will be pre-
sented to the individual journalist
responsible for the editorial or news
article or policy deemed as a public
service. On the face side Of the
medal will be a reproduction of the
statue Of Alma Mater by Daniel
Chester French and a relief map of
the Western Hemisphere will appear
| on the other side. Winners Of the
medals will receive a $1,000 "hono-
rarium" with which to 60 to Colum-
bia University to receive the award
either for themselves or as the rep
resentative Of the newspaper, press
association, news service or syndi-
cate named by the university. No
newspaper winning a prize will be
eligible for another within Ave
years. After the first year prizes
cannot be awarded more than one
newspaper published in any one
county unless. because Of special
| circumstances, the committee Of
award determines unanimously to
the contrary.
The Maria Moors Cabot Prizes
will be awarded on the basis Of pro-
fessional and educational excellence
and achievement without regard for
politics or political and economic
ideologies.' Dean Ackerman said In
his report. Neither Columbia Uni
versity nor the donor has any finan-
cial. commercial. or political inter-
ests or obligations anywhere in South
or Central America nor any political
ak to grind for or on behalf of any
political party or group in the United
States or elsewhere"
Halls New Project.
Expressing appreciation of the
new project on behalf Of the school
Of journalism Dean Ackerman in his
report said:
THE Maria Moors Cabot Prizes
will be the first international prizes
In journalism in the whole Western
Hemisphere. The Cabot awards
should make 1t possible for the press
of South and Central America to
send new type of unoficial envoy
to the United States, q journalistic
ambassador who may make an i'm
portant and lasting contribution by
advancing the information and
knowledge Of the people of the
United States In regard to their
Latin-American neighbors."
Dean Ackerman's report also sug-