The Apollo Award

The Apollo Award is the highest award presented to the general public by the American Optometric Association. It honors persons or organizations for distinguished service to the visual welfare of the public, and recipients have included educators and spokespersons, organizations such as service clubs and philanthropic groups, programs in schools and communities, and publications.

Prior to 1961 the awards were known as “Distinguished Service Awards,” and through 1980 optometrists were eligible to receive the award.

1957 Mrs. Agnes Beaton,  Automotive Safety Foundation

1958 Titmus Optical Company ● President Dwight D. Eisenhower

1959 Dr. Darell Boyd Harmon ● Better Light, Better Sight Bureau, New York ● Olin E. Teague

1960 Arnold Gesell ● Ben Massell .

1961 Alexander M. Skeffington, O.D. ● George D. Spache, Ph.D. ● WOI-TV, Ames Iowa

1962 Emmett A. Betts, Ph.D. ● R. Stuart MacKay, Ph.D. ●  Elwin Marg, O.D., Ph.D. ● Optometric Center of
New York City

1963 Lois B. Bing, O.D. ● William Greenspon, O.D. ● Elbert Hugunin ● Helen M. Robinson, Ph.D.

1964 Glenn A. Fry, O.D., Ph.D. ● Peter J. Salmon ● U. S. Senator H. A. Williams

1965 Nathan Edward Acree ● Better Vision Institute ● H. Ward Ewalt, Jr., O.D. ● Good Housekeeping
Magazine ● Optical Manufacturers Association

1966 Howard J Brown, M.D. ● George H. Giles, O.B.E. (posthumously) ● John C. Neill, O.D. ●
Col. John W. Sheridan, MSC, U.S.A.

1967 Gerald N. Getman, O.D. ● Emanuel C. Nurock, O.D. ● Harold W. Oyster, O.D. ● Winter Haven Lions
Research Foundation

1968 Irvin M. Borish, O.D. ● Robert S. Bray

1969 William C. Ezell, O.D. ● Hernando Henao, R., O.D., Bogota

1970 Samuel Howard Bartley, Ph.D. ● United States Jaycees ● Helen W. Worden

1971 Merrill J. Allen, O.D., Ph.D. ● Anna Berliner, Ph.D.

1972 Carel C. Koch, O.D. ● Ohio Lions Eye Research Foundation

1973 Henry W. Hofstetter, O.D., Ph.D. ● Luci Johnson Nugent

1974 Lions International

1975 Meredith W. Morgan, O.D., Ph.D.

1976 Ernest B. Alexander, O.D.

1977 Auxiliary to the American Optometric Association

1978 National 4-H Council / 4-H Program

1979 Louis Jaques, Sr., O.D. ● Natalie Carter Barraga, Ed.D.

1980 Francis A. Young, Ph.D.

1981 Reader’s Digest large-type edition

1982 Veterans Administration’s VICTORS program

1983 Cazamer Loyd Crouch, P.E.

1984 55 Alive/ Mature Driving - AARP

1985 (no award given)

1986 Henrik L. Blum, M.D., M.P.H.

1987 Robert Beeten

1988 Salvation Army - USA

1989 Literacy Volunteers of America ● Albuquerque Mayor’s Commission on Adult Literacy ●
New Mexico Coalition for Literacy

1990 (no award given)

1991 American Public Health Association

1992 Adolph Coors Foundation

1993 (no award given)

1994 Descriptive Video Service / WGBH

1995 Optical Laboratories Association

1996 General Motors Corporation

1997 John Jay Moores, founder, River Blindness Foundation

1998 Special Olympics International, Mrs. Eunice Kennedy Shriver

1999 (no award given)

2000 American Foundation for the Blind

2001 Carl Kupfer, M.D., National Eye Institute

2002 Gov. Paul E. Patton, State of Kentucky

2003 (no award given)

2004 U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland

2005 former U.S. President, Jimmy Carter

2006 (no award given)

2007 Pierre Le Falher

2008 James Kesteloot, Chicago Lighthouse

2009 (no award given)

2010 Tom Sullivan

2011  (no award given)

2012  (no award given)