The Donald A. Vetter Educational
Service Award
Granting
recognition to people highly supportive of Lutheran education is a
way for the ELEA to honor outstanding accomplishment. Toward this
goal, ELEA has established
The Donald A. Vetter Educational Service Award,
which will be presented for the first time at the October 2004
Administrator’s Conference in Anaheim, California. It is designed
to identify persons who have provided extraordinary achievements
and contributions distinguished by long-standing commitment to the
values of ELEA.
The award
may be granted annually to an individual who has made an
outstanding contribution to Lutheran education consistent with Dr.
Vetter’s own career. The recipient will be deemed a worthy model
for those committed to exemplary service in Lutheran education.
The award
is intended to draw attention to the value of Lutheran schools and
early childhood education centers, to identify high standards of
excellence, and to inspire others to ministry in such a setting.
No award
will be made to any person currently holding an office or paid
position in ELEA.
Words
from the citation for Dr. Vetter’s L.L.D. degree provide a
benchmark for the award: “He has been the one person most
responsible for the quality, promotion, and development of the
Christian Day Schools and Preschools within the church.” He
displays “. . . a great love for his Lord, and his family; and a
personal warmth and spirit easily overlooked in his humble
supportiveness of others.”
Donald A.
Vetter (1919-2002) devoted his adult life to the ministry of
Lutheran schools. His own education began in Fort Wayne, IN at
his parish’s Lutheran elementary school. He later received a
bachelor’s degree from Capital University (an ELCA institution of
higher education in Columbus, Ohio) and eventually an honorary
Doctor of Laws degree from California Lutheran University in
Thousand Oaks, California. He served as
teacher/principal/organist to Trinity Lutheran Church and School,
Marysville, Ohio; Zion Lutheran Church and School in Appleton,
Wisconsin; and First Lutheran Church and School in Blue Island,
Illinois. Dr. Vetter had the foresight to see the need for a
national organization to represent the needs and values of
Lutheran schools while administrator at First Lutheran in Blue
Island. He was instrumental in establishing the American Lutheran
Education Association (ALEA), the predecessor of ELEA. He served
as the founding Executive Director of the organization. His
office was based at Wartburg College where he held a faculty
appointment and developed a program of teacher preparation for
Lutheran school educators.
The ELEA
National Board is seeking nominations for the first Donald A.
Vetter Educational Service Award. One nomination may be made from
each ELEA Network. If you have a nominee in mind, please
coordinate the submission of the nomination through the ELEA
National Board member who represents your Network. If you are
unsure of your Network boundaries and board member, please visit
www.eleanational.org and click on “Networks” or call the National
Office at 800-500-7644. Nominations should be submitted to the
ELEA National Office by June 1, 2004, and should include:
- Name,
contact information and current professional assignment of Nominee
- Name
and contact information of Nominator
- Biographical
summary of Nominee
- A
statement of no more than one page of why the nominee should be
awarded the Vetter Award
- Relationship
of Nominator to Nominee (i.e. former student, colleague, etc.)
- Letters of
support for nomination are optional, but encouraged.
The award will be presented to the recipient at the October 7-9,
2004 National Administrator’s Conference.
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