History

From 1929 to 1991, the Service Council of Berkeley presented an award biennially to “Berkeley’s Most Useful Citizen.” This award, the Benjamin Ide Wheeler Medal, is named after one of the greatest presidents of the University of California. Wheeler led and fostered a close, supportive relationship between the campus and the community. The Board of the Berkeley Community Fund carries forward the great tradition of the Service Council Clubs of Berkeley, recognizing annually an outstanding member of the Berkeley community for distinguished long time service.

The Benjamin Ide Wheeler Medal is awarded to one person who is selected for their outstanding nonpartisan service in any field of activity that has benefited the quality of life for a significant number of people in Berkeley. The selection is made for longtime public service without regard to sex, age, race, religion, place of birth or occupation.

Prior Recipients:

• 1929 William H. Waste
• 1931 August Vollmer
• 1933 Robert Gordon Sproul
• 1935 Chester R. Rowell
• 1937 William B. Herms
• 1939 Monroe E. Deutsch
• 1941 Louise Marks
• 1943 Lester W. Hink
• 1945 E.O. Lawrence
• 1947 Vere V. Loper
• 1949 Emery Stone
• 1951 Clarence A. Bullwinkel
• 1953 Galen M. Fisher
• 1955 Walter A. Gordon
• 1957 Lilly M. Whitaker
• 1959 Robert R. Porter
• 1961 Redmond C. Staats, Jr.
• 1963 Claude B. Hutchison
• 1965 Katherine Towle
• 1967 Wallace J.S. Johnson
• 1969 Roger W. Heyns
• 1971 Wilmont Sweeny
• 1973 Carol Sibley
• 1975 Thomas B. Shaw
• 1977 Sylvia C. McLaughlin
• 1979 Robert W. Ratcliff
• 1981 Paul E. Harberts
• 1983 Robert G. Eaneman
• 1985 Robert A. Rice
• 1987 Margaret S. Gordon
• 1989 Fred S. Stripp
• 1991 Mary Lee Jefferds
• 1994 Ira Michael Heyman
• 1995 Alba and Bernard Witkin
• 1996 John A. Martin, Jr.
• 1997 Chang-Lin Tien
• 1998 David R. Brower
• 1999 Marian Cleeves Diamond
• 2000 Thelton E. Henderson
• 2001 Jeffrey Shattuck Leiter
• 2002 Alice Waters
• 2003 Kent Nagano
• 2004 Arthur Rosenfeld, Ph.D.
• 2005 Davida Coady, M.D.
• 2006 Mal Warwick
• 2007 Robert Cole
• 2008 Helen and John Meyer
• 2009 Steven H. Oliver
• 2010 Denny Abrams and Richard Millikan
• 2011 Narsai M. David
• 2012 Susan Medak