On Wednesday, March 23rd, I traveled to Eastern Kentucky University to accept the John Sherman Cooper Award For Outstanding Public Service In Kentucky on behalf of the Jesse Stuart Foundation and, more particularly, on behalf of a great Board of Directors, a hard-working office staff, and more that 5000 Associate Members nationwide.

Because of the efforts of many people and the assistance of many institutions, the Jesse Stuart Foundation has grown from modest beginnings into a consortium of regional service and publishing excellence that reaches past Kentucky’s borders, past the informal boundaries of Appalachia, to every state in America.

We are an organization without walls. Many cultural organizations can only serve the people who walk through their doors, but we have reached every place in America—cities and towns, schools and libraries, and tens of thousands of homes. Everywhere people read, you are likely to find a Jesse Stuart Foundation book.

During my acceptance, I offered special thanks to Board Members Judy B. Thomas, Keith R. Kappes, and Carl and Buzzy Leming. I also gratefully acknowledged the support of Ashland Oil, now Ashland, Inc., and Morehead State University.

This article gives me an opportunity to thank our supporters in Ashland and the tri-state area. You have been great friends to me and to the Jesse Stuart Foundation, and you have made my twenty years in Ashland the best part of my life.

Past winners of the John Sherman Cooper Award include: former Governor Edward T. Breathitt, statesman and politician Walter Baker, Leonard Press, founder of KET, and S.T. Roach, former teacher and legendary basketball coach.

The inscription on the beautiful silver tray reads:

In recent years, the Jesse Stuart Foundation has also been honored by Lincoln Memorial University, Berea College, the Kentucky Historical Society, and the East Kentucky Leadership Foundation. We recently celebrated our 25th anniversary and we are proud to be headquartered in Ashland, near Jesse Stuart’s beloved W-Hollow homeland.

Keith R. Kappes, Chair of our Board of Directors, is fond of saying that each book we sell promotes Ashland and each one is a beacon that attracts cultural tourists, eager to visit the land that inspired Jesse Stuart’s world-famous literature.

If you’re one of the many people who still hasn’t visited the Jesse Stuart Foundation, why wait any longer? Stop by and one of our staff members will give you a tour of the building. You can also shop for books, arts, and crafts.

Come to visit! You’ll be glad you did. The Jesse Stuart Foundation is located at 1645 Winchester Avenue in downtown Ashland. Business hours are Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm.

The Regional Readers group meets Tuesday at 5:45 pm at the Jesse Stuart Foundation. We’ll be discussing "Sporty Creek" by James Still. The public is invited.