Charles B. Harding Award for Distinguished Service
The Harding Award is the Arthritis Foundation’s highest honor for national volunteers.
The Charles B. Harding Award for Distinguished Service is the highest level of national volunteer recognition within the Arthritis Foundation. It was established in 1976 in honor of one of the Foundation’s greatest leaders, known both locally and nationally.
For more than two decades, Mr. Harding was active in the organization, serving at the national level in almost every leadership position, including vice chair and president. He was a successful business leader as board chair of Smith Barney and Co., an investment banking firm in New York. He also served as chair of the board of governors of the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Harding was committed to improving the quality of life for people with arthritis.
Today, the Charles B. Harding Award is given annually to the individual who best exemplifies the highest standards of concern and commitment to the arthritis community. Recipients are volunteers who have provided leadership and direction to the Arthritis Foundation, giving generously to help others and challenging each of us to give our best.
Recipients of the Charles B. Harding Award
2023 – Linda B. Grandolfo
Linda B. Grandolfo first got to know us through Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII), the women's fraternity supporting our work since 1967. She joined the fraternity and has poured her heart into it ever since. She has served on the Arthritis Foundation’s leadership board in the Greater Chicago market for many years, including chairing the board for five years. Linda has also continued cultivating her deep roots with AOII and its ongoing support of the Foundation’s mission. AOII presented their biggest gift ever to the Foundation in 2023.
2022 – Dr. Robin Dore
Robin Dore, MD, first got involved with the Arthritis Foundation when she received a fellowship award we funded in 1978. That award helped train her in the field of rheumatology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. And the more engaged she became with our mission over the years, the more she wanted to do for the arthritis community.
In recognition of Dr. Dore’s long and passionate commitment to arthritis patients and the Arthritis Foundation’s mission, the Arthritis Foundation honored her with the 2022 Charles B. Harding Award for Distinguished Service.
2021 – Dennis Ehling
Dennis Ehling got involved with the Arthritis Foundation in 2006 as a rider and fundraiser in the California Coast Classic bike tour. He has served as the event’s founding leadership committee chair since 2011 and has personally raised $230,000 for the Arthritis Foundation.
In 2020, Dennis designed a new model — the Remote Ride CCC Challenge — to allow riders around the globe to train, fundraise and engage with the philanthropic biking community despite the pandemic. The virtual event raised almost $1 million. In 2021, the CCC raised over $1.1 million and brought even more visibility to our mission.
2020 – Steve Smith
2019 – Kevin Purcell
2018 – Michael Ortman
The evening’s biggest award – the Charles B. Harding Award for Distinguished Service – went to Michael V. Ortman. Michael served as chair of the Arthritis Foundation board of directors for two years, 2014-16. He was key to helping us reorganize as a united organization focused on more efficiently and effectively helping even more people with arthritis live their best life.
Read the Announcement - https://www.arthritis.org/news/2018-evening-of-honors
2017 – Daniel T. McGowan
2016 and earlier
2016 – Colleen Ryan
2015 – Janalee Taylor, MSN, APRN
2014 – Rowland W. (Bing) Chang, MD, MPH
2013 – Cecile K. Perich
2012 – L. Brunson White
2011 – Pamela R. Massey, PT, MS
2010 – James S. Louie, MD, MACR, FACP
2009 – Laura Robbins, DSW
2008 – Thomas R. & Joyce M. Murphy
2007 – John L. Coalson Jr., Esq.
2006 – Pattye L. Moore
2005 – Leigh F. Callahan, PhD
2004 – Julia McClanahan & Linda Wilson
2003 – William J. Mulvihill
2002 – Debra R. Lappin, JD
2001 – Ann Kunkel
2000 – Philip S. Magaram, Esq.
1999 – Richard L. Lautzenheiser, MD
1998 – Jerry G. Langley
1997 – Jane S. Hollis
1996 – Raymond W. Snow
1995 – Amye L. Leong, MBA
1994 – Armin U. Kuder, MD
1993 – Charles L. Christian, MD
1992 – Robert W. Jeavons, JD
1991 – Betsey Brewster Case, Esq.
1990 – Clifford M. Clarke, CAE
1989 – Kathleen Ferrell, PT, MLA
1988 – Stanford K. Rubin, Esq.
1987 – James R. Klinenberg, MD
1986 – Edward J. Malone
1985 – Cecelia T. Kennedy
1984 – Betty Ford
1983 – W.W. (Bick) Satterfield
1982 – Joseph L. Hollander, MD
1981 – Charles J. Smyth, MD
1980 – H M Poole Jr.
1979 – James P. Mills
1978 – J. Frank Morris
1977 – Jane Wyman
1976 – Charles B. Harding
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