David Gruber receives AAUP Tacey Award

In a special presentation at Truman State University, on May 9, 2005, David F. Gruber (Professor of Philosophy) received the Tacey Award from the Assembly of State Conferences (ASC). Tom Guild, Chair of the ASC, made the presentation and also read a resolution of appreciation from the AAUP Executive Council and the letter of nomination from the Missouri State Conference.  The ASC is the umbrella group within the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) currently representing 41 state conferences nationally.  Barbara Dixon, President of Truman State University, joined in by extending the congratulations of the Gruber’s home institution.

The ASC Tacey Award is presented to an individual for outstanding service to a conference over a number of years. State conferences nominate individuals, and the executive committee of the Assembly of State Conferences decides whether any of the nominees is qualified to receive the award. Except in rare circumstances, only one award is given, nationwide, in any year. In his speech of acceptance, Gruber explained why he considered the Tacey Award to be so important. “It is at the level of the state conferences where the really critical work of ASC is being done, in my experience. The most committed people gravitate to that level. They respond to concerned campus individuals who contact AAUP to form a chapter; they have to find out who the best people might be to carry out the important work of beginning or reviving an AAUP chapter and assist in getting those folks the support and training they need to sustain professional and academic values. To be given the Tacey Award is the highest honor I could have.”

Gruber’s work has also been honored this year by Truman State University’s Faculty Senate, the Truman AAUP chapter, and the Missouri Conference of AAUP, which, with the assistance of the Assembly of State Conferences, has established the David F. Gruber Leadership Development Award to support the training of AAUP activists.

Nomination for the Tacey Award

A crowd gathered in the Spanish Room for the presentation of the Tacey Award.


L-R TSU AAUP Chapter president David Robinson, University president Barbara Dixon, Laura Gruber, David Gruber.


Tom Guild, chair of the Assembly of State Conferences of AAUP, presents the award to David.


David's acceptance speech.

For more photos, visit http://www2.truman.edu/~drobinso/Photos.htm