ART WALLHAUSEN RECEIVES PRESS AWARD

Art Wallhausen, assistant to the president of Southeast Missouri State University and a longtime newspaperman in Southeast Missouri, was awarded the Mildred Wallhausen Friend of SEMO Press Award Friday.

Southeast Missouri Press Association President Peggy Scott presented the award at the annual meeting of the Southeast Missouri Press Association on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

"Like his mother, Art has shown unending dedication to journalism in Southeast Missouri," Scott said. "As a newspaperman and then as the association's executive secretary, Art encouraged newspapers to work together for our common goal of improving journalism."

The award was instituted in 1997 to honor individuals who have contributed to the betterment of journalism in Southeast Missouri. The award is named for its first recipient, Mildred Wallhausen, 86, publisher of the Enterprise-Courier in Charleston and the East Prairie Eagle in East Prairie.

Mrs. Wallhausen, Art Wallhausen's mother, has worked 60 years in Southeast Missouri journalism. In addition to her daily newspaper duties, Mrs. Wallhausen also serves as the SEMO Press Association's historian.

The award is presented annually to someone who follows the example Mrs. Wallhausen has set for journalism. Recipients must have served the Southeast Missouri Press Association and been involved in journalism in some way.

Art Wallhausen served as president of the SEMO Press Association in 1970. He is a former member of the board of the Missouri Press Association. He published newspapers in Mississippi County for 22 years and co-founded Cape Central Publishing Co. After taking a position as news services director at Southeast Missouri State in 1984, he became the SEMO Press Association's first executive secretary and served in that capacity for 15 years.

In addition to Mildred Wallhausen, previous recipients of the award have been John Blue of Cape Girardeau and Barbara Hill of Dexter. Blue was a longtime editor of the Southeast Missourian and was president of the SEMO Press Association in 1966. Hill is publisher of the Daily Statesman in Dexter. She was president of the organization in 1994.

This year's recipient was appointed assistant to the president of the university in 1986 and has served in that capacity under Presidents Bill Stacy, Robert Foster, Kala Stroup, the late Bill Atchley, Dale Nitzschke and currently Kenneth Dobbins. His responsibilities include media relations, research and data analysis, drafting of speeches and correspondence, troubleshooting, legislative projects and coordination of special projects. He is a former member of the board and former secretary of the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education.

He is a graduate of Charleston High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree with distinction in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa as a member of the Senior Honor Five in 1959. He also was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Q.E.B.H., and Phi Eta Sigma. He was president of Acacia Fraternity chapter and was named a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Princeton University.

He was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in artillery (ROTC) and served two years in the military with the Combat Development Experimentation Center in Ford Ord, Calif.

He is founding president of the Mississippi County Economic Opportunity Corp. and formerly served as president of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce. He was named by the Missouri Jaycees as an Outstanding Young Man.

Born in Poplar Bluff, Wallhausen married Rhode Island native Helen Kerrins in 1962. They have two sons, a grandson and a granddaughter. Both sons are employed in computer services at Southeast Missouri State University.