URI Homepage
William Gould Award for All-Around Outstanding Achievement
Class of 1958The Gould Award is presented to a senior in recognition of all-around outstanding achievement in the following areas:
- Organizational Leadership and Participation: The student has held positions of leadership in organizations and/or programs; and he/she has carried out those functions skillfully and successfully for the benefit of others.
- Peer Relationships: The student has volunteered his/her abilities in the area of peer counseling, academic tutoring and/or other activities helpful to students in the University community, and is respected by his/her peers.
- General Services: The student has planned, initiated and/or coordinated activities within the University community relevant to furthering the strength and visibility of Black students, programs, organizations, etc.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty.
Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contribution to the University Community
The King Award is presented to a senior in recognition of outstanding service in the following areas:
- Organizational Leadership and Participation: The student has held positions of leadership in organizations and/or participated in programs; and he/she has carried out those functions skillfully and successfully for the benefit of others.
- Volunteer: The student has volunteered his/her services in the area of peer counseling, academic tutoring and/or other activities helpful to persons in the University community.
- General Service: The student has planned, initiated and/or coordinated activities within the University community relevant to the University community.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty to further their leadership efforts and contribute to the University community.
Harvey Robert Turner Outstanding Service to the University of Rhode Island Black Community Award
Class of 1914The Turner Award is presented to the senior who has made a significant contribution to the Black community of the University through activities which demonstrated a commitment to the community’s growth and recognition by others. The student must achieve in the following areas:
- Organizational Leadership and Participation: The student he/she has held positions of leadership in organizations and/or participated in programs; and has carried out those functions skillfully and successfully for the benefit of the University’s Black community.
- Peer Relationships: The student has volunteered his/her abilities in the area of peer counseling, academic tutoring and/or other activities helpful to students in the University’s Black community, and is respected by his/her peers, especially black students.
- General Services: The student has planned, initiated and/or coordinated activities within the University community relevant to furthering the strength and visibility of Black students, programs, organizations, etc.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty to further the goals of the Black community at the University.
Reverend Arthur L. Hardge Award for Outstanding Community Service
The Hardge Award is presented to the senior demonstrating outstanding service to the Black community outside the University. The student must achieve in the following areas:
- Organizational Leadership and Participation: The student has held positions of leadership in organizations and/or participated in programs; and he/she has carried out those functions skillfully and successfully for the benefit of the off-campus Black community.
- Volunteer Service: The student has volunteered his/her services in other activities helpful the off-campus Black community.
- General Service: The student has planned, initiated and/or coordinated activities within the off-campus Black community relevant to its growth and development.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty regarding their efforts to serve the off-campus Black community.
Noreen Coachman Award for Outstanding Achievement by an Older Student
Class of 1973The Coachman Award is presented to a senior who has achieved excellence in academic and extracurricular life while maintaining work and family responsibilities. The student must achieve in the following areas:
- Organizational Leadership and Participation: The student has held positions of leadership in organizations and/or participated in programs and has carried out those functions skillfully and successfully for the benefit of others, especially the Black community.
- Family and Work Responsibilities: The student has demonstrated success in work related responsibilities and family duties.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty to further the goals of the Black community at the University.
Class of 1979Estes Benson Award for Academic Achievement
The Benson Awards are presented to a male and a female senior
with the highest overall academic achievement based on
grade point average.
(Merit Based-Grade Point Average
provided by Office of Enrollment Services)
Sojourner Truth Award for Scholarly Persistence and Dedication
The Truth Award is presented to a senior who has succeeded in spite of dire financial, physical and/or personal problems that would ordinarily impede progress. The student must have achieved in the following areas:
- Extracurricular Activities: The student has been involved in organizations and/or programs for the benefit of others, especially the Black community.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty.
Jackie Robinson and Althea Gibson Awards for Athletics
These awards are given to a male (Robinson Award) and a female (Gibson Award) senior for participation in sports and distinguishing themselves in the following areas:
- Athletic Participation: The student must have held or currently holds a position on a varsity or non-varsity athletic team or club sports. Students may have been or currently participate in non-traditional sports, such as,
Capoeira.Recipients do not have to be a current member of an athletic team or organization. - Volunteer Service: The student has volunteered his/her services in activities helpful to individuals, especially within the Black community.
- Good Sportsmanship: The student has demonstrated attributes of good sportsmanship on and off the field through positive relationships with students, faculty, and staff, especially the Black community.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty.
Saint Elmo Brady Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science
The Brady Award is presented to the senior student with a high grade point average in the sciences and achieved the following:
- Organizational Leadership and Participation: The student has held positions of leadership in science organizations and/or participated in programs; and he/she has carried out those functions skillfully and successfully for the benefit of others.
- Peer Relationships: The student has volunteered his/her abilities in the area of peer counseling, academic tutoring and/or other activities helpful to students in science, and is respected by his/her peers, especially the black students.
- General Services: The student has planned, initiated and/or coordinated activities to further the strength and visibility of Black science students, programs, organizations, etc.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty.
Saint Clair Drake Award for Outstanding Scholarly Research
The Drake Award is presented to a senior who has demonstrated the best aspects of scholarly research through the development, execution, and completion of a scholarly research project.
- Scholarly Research: The student has planned, initiated and completed independently or collaboratively an outstanding scholarly research project which may have been published and/or presented at a scholarly meeting or part of a course requirement/graduation requirement.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty.
David Edmonds Award for Outstanding Artistic and Creative Expression
Class of 1964The Edmonds Award is presented to a senior who has demonstrated excellence as well as originality and creativity in the arts. The student must achieve in the following areas:
- Creative Expression: The student has created, designed and/or developed unique and original artistic works via any medium of expression.
- Competition and/or Exhibition: The student’s work must have been adjudicated and/or presented in an appropriate forum such as competition, gallery exhibition, etc.
- Academic Performance: Student nominees must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average; and senior standing of 90 credits.
- Relationships with Faculty: The student has skillfully and successfully worked with and/or engaged Black faculty.
Estes Arnathia Benson (1956-1997) was a cum laude graduate in the class of 1978 at the University of Rhode Island. At the University, he starred in football. He received the Fifth Quarter Club Scholar Athlete Award. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. After graduating, he studied at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Subsequently, he received a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University.
Believing that work and travel were essential to his pursuit of knowledge; Estes spent a year in Israel on a kibbutz; a year in the Gulf of Mexico on an oil rig; and several years in various management positions in a variety of businesses, including providing affordable housing for inner-city residents.
An actor and writer, he appeared in University productions, New York City Showcase Theatre, and Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities Legacy Series. He was the author of the Legacy drama, “Fighting to be American: Rhode Islander in the Civil War." As a volunteer throughout New England, he presented educational activities on drug and alcohol abuse to young people.
