Professional News

National Archives, UK Libraries Announce New Teachers' Award

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 17, 2014) — The National Archives and the University of Kentucky Libraries announced today the creation of the Earle C. Clements Innovation in Education Award for Civics and History Teachers (Clements Award). Created in partnership with the UK Libraries Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center, the Clements Award recognizes promising and innovative Kentucky educators.

A panel of Kentucky educators will select three teachers annually for 10 years. Each teacher will receive $1,000 from the Foundation for the National Archives through the generosity of Clements’ daughter and foundation board member, Bess Clements Abell. Selection criteria include knowledge, enthusiasm, creativity, innovation and impact on student success.

National Archives educator Charles M. Flanagan will announce the award program at the Kentucky Association of Teachers of History’s annual meeting scheduled for Oct. 18, in Louisville, Kentucky.

"We are pleased to partner with the University of Kentucky Libraries to recognize Kentucky’s finest educators," said Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero. "We are grateful to the Foundation for the National Archives and especially to longtime supporter Bess Clements Abell and her family for making these awards possible."

The Earle C. Clements Innovation in Education Award for Civics and History Teachers honors the life and career of Earle C. Clements and his lifelong commitment to education and public service. Clements’ political career included service as a county sheriff, clerk and judge; in the state senate and as governor; and in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, where he was a close colleague to Lyndon Baines Johnson. Bess Clements Abell, Clements’ daughter, is a board member of the Foundation for the National Archives, a member of UK Libraries National Advisory Board, and UK alumna.

For more information about nominations contact Deirdre Scaggs, associate dean of UK Special Collections Research Center, at 859-257-3653 or deirdre@uky.edu. Nominations for the Clements Awards should be sent to: University of Kentucky Libraries, Deirdre A. Scaggs, Associate Dean, Special Collections Research Center, Margaret I. King Library, Lexington, KY.

The National Archives is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our government, so people can discover, use and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education and facilitates historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers and Presidential Libraries, and on the Internet at www.archives.gov.

The Foundation for the National Archives is an independent nonprofit that increases public awareness of the National Archives, inspires a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage and encourages citizen engagement in our democracy. The foundation generates financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs and educational initiatives, introducing America’s records to people around the U.S. and the world.

UK Special Collections Research Center is home to UK Libraries' collection of rare books, Kentuckiana, the Archives, the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, the King Library Press, the Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center, the Bert T. Combs Appalachian collection and the digital library, ExploreUK. The mission of the center is to locate and preserve materials documenting the social, cultural, economic and political history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu