University of Puget Sound Mortar Board Chapter Receives Esteemed National Awards
August 9, 2006

The Otlah chapter of Mortar Board at University of Puget Sound was presented with the Golden Torch Award and two Project Excellence Awards for the 2005-06 academic year at the organization’s national conference held in Columbus, Ohio from July 28-30.

The chapter received a Project Excellence Award for their work with Stanley Elementary, and for cosponsoring “hunger week,” for which they held a banquet fundraiser, sponsored a fast, and made many displays and educational fliers promoting awareness of the worldwide problem of hunger.

The chapter also took home the Golden Torch Award, presented to chapters going above and beyond timeliness and excellence while exemplifying the ideals of scholarship, leadership, and service.

Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership, and service. Since its founding in 1918, the organization has grown from the four founding chapters to 214 collegiate and 43 alumni chapters with more than 240,000 initiated members across the nation.

The Otlah chapter at the University of Puget Sound was chartered in 1959. The University of Puget Sound's chapter of Mortar Board evolved from a faculty nominated women's honorary organization committed to academic excellence and college service. Since 1922, Otlah Club's members strived toward high scholarship, service, and leadership. The original twelve seniors exhibited an average grade of 90 or above, in addition to further qualifications of womanliness and service to Puget Sound.

The goals required of Otlah members and their subsequent achievements qualified the program for acceptance in the Mortar Board National Senior Women's Honorary in 1959. The Mortar Board, Otlah Chapter signification was the culmination of thirty seven years of work devoted to scholarship, service, and leadership, which continues to be pursued at Puget Sound today.

Mortar Board provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promote service to colleges and universities, and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. Some notable Mortar Board members include former President Jimmy Carter, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Lance Armstrong, and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. More information about Mortar Board, the National College Senior Honor Society is available at www.mortarboard.org.

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