U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress Launches Lou Frey Civic Scholarship and Presents Former Congressman Amo Houghton (R-NY) with 2015 Distinguished Service Award
WASHINGTON, June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC) announced the creation of the "Lou Frey Scholarship," awarded each year to a Winter Park High School student from Orange County, Florida who excels in civics, and presented its 45th "Distinguished Service Award" to Amo Houghton, a Former Member of Congress from New York. At the non-profit organization's annual meeting held each year in Washington, D.C., Barbara Kennelly (D-CT), President of FMC, said that the inspiration for the civics scholarship—Lou Frey—a Former Member of Congress from Florida, is a champion of civics education nationally. He founded the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government at the University of Central Florida, and is one of FMC's most active and dedicated volunteers, as well as its past president.
"Lou has been a past president of our organization, chairman of our fundraising dinner since its inception, and has made a tremendous impact across the country by promoting the importance of civic education. He also helped pass legislation in his home state to make sure no high school student graduated without a basic understanding of how our government works," Kennelly said. "We wanted to establish an award in his honor to give a worthy high school student a $1,000 scholarship to help them with college, and also invite them to attend FMC educational events throughout the year."
In addition to presenting the scholarship to Lou Frey, the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress presented the "2015 Distinguished Service Award" to Amo Houghton, a Former Member of Congress from New York who had a strong record of bipartisanship when he served in Congress from 1986 to 2005. "Congressman Houghton is an excellent example of what this award embodies, and was often the 'go-to-person' to facilitate the two parties working together to pass meaningful legislation," said Pete Weichlein, CEO of the Association. "Most of all, he served his constituents with integrity, commitment, and an unmatched dynamism. He set a very high standard as a public servant and continues to inspire those who have come after him." Previous award winners include: "Tip" O'Neill; Al Gore; Gabby Giffords; Bob Dole; Gerald Ford; Ray LaHood; and Dick Cheney, among others.
There are more than 600 Former Members of Congress who volunteer for the non-profit organization, whose mission is to promote bipartisanship, dialog, and service. Former Members visit high schools and colleges in the U.S. and abroad, helping students and the general public learn about representative democracy and encourage public service. They also help with election monitoring in emerging democracies, meet with foreign leaders to build on-going relationships and share best practices, and conduct many other civic education efforts throughout the year. FMC also supports our nation's wounded warriors through charity golf events, among other activities.
SOURCE U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress
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