In 1962, from a concept developed by Thomas C. Yeotis and Richard Ruhala, the Genesee County Bar Association became the first bar in the counrty to develop and bestow the Annual Liberty Bell Award. Before long, the idea spread to other local and state bar associations, eventually reaching the American Bar Association. Through the years, five area Liberty Bell honorees have been given the Liberty Bell Award through the State Bar of Michigan.

Liberty Bell

1962
James S. Pass
Mildred Hodges
Earl Sheridan
Joseph A. Anderson
Dr. Fleming Barbour

1963
Marvin Levey
Karl Schwartzwalder
Howard J. Auer
Mrs. Mabel Eugenis
Thomas Kay

1964
Stuart M. Spice
Mr. and Mrs. Forbes K. Merkley
Guy V. Houston

1965
Roger Cramton
Roger Townsend
Miss Vivien Ingram
Mrs. Donald Cushman

1966
Clarence H. Young
Colonel E. Gillespie
Mrs. Odell Broadway

1967
Floyd J. McCree
William C. Crick
Mrs. Verna H. Barkey

1968
Edward A. “Ted” McLogan
Arthur H. Sarvis
James A. Kintz

1969
Maysoe J. Jarrett
Merliss Brown
Mrs. Robert Hameister

1970
Mrs. Ophelia Bonner
Bolton Pap
Dr. Hera E. Branch

1971
Dr. John W. MacKenzie
Mrs. Lawrence E. Schaefer
Dr. Clarence B. Kimbrough

1972
Melvin Banner
Robert E. Ennis
Margaret Simberg
Norman W. Bully

1973
Dr. Gerald Schneberger
Mrs. James Applegate
Fred Dent

1974
Mrs. Ellen M. Howe
Mrs. Sonya Helmer

1975
Mrs. Judith Banfield
Danny D. Sain
Dr. Vivian Lewis

1976
Paul Parker
Harriet Kenworthy
William L. Keaton

1977
Dan Hunter
Mrs. Roberta Somach
Carol C. Pierson

1978
Naomi Murray
Norman Asseltine
Frank Sczepanski

1979
William Hamilton
Cecil McKinnon
Laura Steibel

1980
Ronald Warner
Chester Hughes, Jr.
Sybyl Atwood

1981
Edith Campbell
Rev. Avery Aldridge
Erwin Davis

1982
Mrs. E. Hill Delony
Mike Bennett
Elmer A. Knopf

1983
Carl Mason
Marion Miller
James Patton

1984
Edward Badrow (Ned)
Dr. Robin Widgery
Charlotte Williams

1985
Olive Beasley
William Minardo
Dr. Tuuri

1986
Wilburn Legree - State Winner 99
Dr. Edelbert Rodgers
Nancy Stockham

1987
Helen Friley
Jack Hamady
Betty Howlett

1988
Harold Coles
Lenore Croudy
Dr. Robert G. Schafer

1989
Leonard Press
Dr. Evelyn Golden
Ruben Burks

1990
Bill Haley
Rev. Bob Davidson
Dolores Ennis

1991
Lucille Bigelow
Jesse Thompson
Michael Yeagley

1992
Rev. Reuben Russell
Ed Backus
Adeline Loikree

1993
Father John Klein
Hugh F. Semple
Dr. Doris A. Suciu- State Winner 93

1994
Danny R. Gaydou
William M. Hoskins
Helen Philpott

1995
James Blakely
Kay Huber
Dr. Edwin Novak

1996
Linda R. Clark - State Winner 96
Craig Coney
Steve Heddy

1997
Norman R. Bryant
Mary L. Campbell
Donald R. Cronin - State Winner 97

1998
James “Cap” Wheeler
Peppy Rosenthal
Honorable Thomas C. Yeotis

1999
Earl Jordan
Barbara Powers
Gary Custer

2000
Pamela Loving
Father Lorenzo
Mark Hawkins - State Winner 01

2001
Jimmy King
Denise Smith Allen
Steve Schmidt

2002
Hon. Bruce A. Newman (posthumously)

2003
J. Michael Zelley
Zoanne Saab

2004
Inez M. Brown
Donald D. Lada

2005
Sister M. Claudia Burke
Dr. Marigowda Nagaraju

2006
Harold Ford, ACLU

2007
Shirley Cochran, Motherly Intercession, Inc.

2008
Attorney William P. Daniel
Attorney Anthony J. Mansour
Hon. Harold Resteiner

2009
Genesee County Circuit Court Information Desk and Court Officer Volunteers

Law Day Golden Apple Award

Joe Eufinger (date unknown), Central H.S.

Rosie Howell (date unknown), Beecher H.S.

1983 Sharon Chapel, Clio H.S.

1987 Grant Bellinger, Fenton H.S.

1994 Unknown

1995 Dr. Dorothy Sample

1996 Susan Sharp, St. Roberts School

1997 Harold Clayton Ford, Beecher H.S

1998 Unknown

1999 Lisa Hanba, Bentley Schools

2000 Nadine Roberts, Northwestern Edison

2001 Mike Yeagley. Flushing H.S.

2002 Lou Kellum, Northern H.S.

2003 Bob Legutko, Swartz Creek H.S.

2004 Richard Adams, Montrose H.S.

2005 Tendaji Ganges, UM-Flint

2006 Ann Lossing Ruwart, Legal Services of Eastern Michigan

2007 Susan Griffin, Valley Christian Academy

2008 Gary Smith, Grand Blanc High School

2009 Flint Public Library

Law Day Crime Victim Advocate Award

1994 Roger Sharpe, Sharpe Funeral Home

1995 Shirley Walker, Community Advocate

1996 Unknown

1997 Unknown

1998 Unknown

1999 Cheryl Wyms

2000
Dr. Melissa Hamp
Dr. Brian Nolen

2001
Police Chief Eric King, Mt. Morris Township Police Department
Dr. Ira Rutherford, Superintendent, Beecher Community Schools

2002
Carolyn Sims
Det. James Santa, Flint Twp.

2003 Jeff Nye, State Police Crime Lab

2004 Lisa Jaworski, Pros. Office

2005 Polly Sheppard

2006 Pastor Lewis Randolph, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church

2007 Hon. Brenda Clack, State Representative

2008 Detective Ron Skarzinski, City of Fenton

2009 Hon. Robert E. Weiss, posthumously