Denison University senior Meg Wilson, a biology major from Columbus, Ohio, has been honored as a recipient of the 2021 Louis Kussmaul Friendship Award, which recognizes the Denison University students who have contributed most to the friendly relations between Granville and the college. Steve Matheny, executive director of the Granville Chamber of Commerce, and Denison University Profesor and author Margot Singer, v presented the awards at a ceremony held on Wednesday, April 21.
Wilson, who will be pursuing a master’s in public health at Columbia University, noted, “At Denison, we are lucky to have such great resources and student leadership. I feel it’s our responsibility to use our resources to support our greater Granville, Newark, and Heath communities in any way we can.”
Wilson’s nominators said of her: “Meg served as a president of First Presbyterian Church’s college student group “Presbyterians at Denison” for two years during her first and second years at Denison. She shined in this role and was particularly good at connecting with new students to welcome them into the campus and Granville communities.”
They added, “She was always an active participant in church activities, serving as a reader for our services and even acting as a leader for some of our regional youth conferences and retreats. Meg’s faith is a core part of her identity and a motivating factor for many of the other leadership roles she has taken, in particular her role as president of Relay for Life, and Founder and co-director of Camp Kesem. Meg brings kindness, warmth, and steadfastness to her work and she has been a gift not only to Denison but to those of us off the hill who have had the pleasure of working with her.”
In its 74th year, the Award honors the memory of Louis Kussmaul, a Granville printer who worked for his brother William H. Kussmaul, publisher of the Granville Times from 1890 to 1899. The Award was funded by an endowed gift to Denison University from Harry Amos, a Denison alumnus of the Class of 1899. Amos, a fellow newspaperman, was editor of the Jeffersonian of Cambridge, Ohio. The Granville Area Chamber of Commerce and Denison University continue to honor the gift from Harry Amos by presenting this award annually.