Joe J. Litehiser, who served as Secretary of the SSA from March 1987 to April 2007, the second longest tenure in an officer position in the organization’s history, was presented with this award for Distinguished Service to the SSA at the Annual Meeting in Monterey, California in April 2009.
As Secretary, Litehiser used a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of the Society’s by-laws to help 14 presidents guide the Society, and often offered practical compromises during lively debates at board meetings. During his tenure as secretary, Litehiser served on the Executive Committee and on the Budget Committee. Litehiser also helped usher SSA into the Internet age while serving on the Executive Committee.