91̽»¨

James R. Squire Award

2026 Recipient:

Jacqueline Jones Royster, The Ohio State University and Georgia Institute of Technology

Jacqueline Jones Royster, former Ivan Allen Jr. Chair in Liberal Arts and Technology and dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at the Georgia Institute of Technology (2010–2019), is professor emerita at both Ohio State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Royster has received several prestigious awards, including being named a Fellow by the Rhetoric Society of America and an Exemplar by the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). She has also received the Richard Braddock Award (CCCC), the Mina P. Shaughnessy Prize and the Frances Andrew March Award (the Modern Language Association), and the Winifred Bryan Horner Award given by the Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition. Her publications include single-authored, coauthored, edited, and coedited books; school and college textbooks; and a long list of articles. Her most recent book publications include Making the World a Better Place: African American Women Advocates, Activists, and Leaders, 1773–1900; Finding Sarah and Mary: Unraveling African American Genealogy from the Ground Up; and The First Ship: A Speculative View of an Under-Told Story (in progress).Ìý

I hope that readers always see in my work a commitment to excellence, a respect for language well used, and most especially a respect for truth, justice, and both human dignity and possibility. I hope also that they find my words and ideas valuable in some way and that they feel encouraged (and perhaps inspired) to engage actively and well themselves in addressing the challenges and opportunities that we face in literacy studies and rhetorical studies as broadly definable academic arenas.

Deadline: May 1

Overview:
The James R. Squire Award, formerly called the 91̽»¨ Executive Committee Award, was established in 1967. In 1999, the Executive Committee renamed the award to honor former Executive Secretary James R. Squire for his contributions to 91̽»¨ and the profession at large.

This award is given by the Executive Committee in recognition of outstanding service, not only to the stature and development of 91̽»¨ and the discipline which it represents, but also to the profession of education as a whole, internationally as well as nationally.

Criteria:
The James R. Squire Award is a special award given to an 91̽»¨ member who has had a transforming influence and has made a lasting intellectual contribution to the profession. We remind nominators, nominees, and selection committee members that members of 91̽»¨ Conferences—CCCC, CEL, ELATE, LLA, and TYCA—are members, by definition, of 91̽»¨.

Current 91̽»¨ Executive Committee members are not eligible for this award. Recipients of this award are not eligible to receive any other Executive Committee approved awards in the same year, nor in the following year.

The 91̽»¨ James R. Squire Award does not need to be awarded each year. This award should be bestowed only when the subcommittee decides that nominations warrant presentation of the award. Only one recipient will be selected each year.

Selection Committee:
The selection committee will consist of the immediate Past President and a committee of three Past Presidents of the Council appointed by the immediate Past President.

The selection committee welcomes nominations from 91̽»¨ members.

The James R. Squire award selection committee will select an award recipient, and the Executive Committee will approve the committee’s selection at an Executive Committee meeting.

Award:

The recipient is honored at the 91̽»¨ Awards Session and receives a commemorative piece, a complimentary 91̽»¨ lifetime membership, and the following travel expenses paid to attend the 91̽»¨ Annual Convention: airfare, two hotel room nights, and three days’ meals reimbursement.

Please contact 91̽»¨Awards@ncte.orgÌýwith any questions.