UA Cason Award to Honor Columnist Rheta Grimsley Johnson
February 18, 2010 - Filed under: Announcements, Awards & Honors, Events | Tagged: College of Communication & Information Sciences, Literature
Rheta Grimsley Johnson
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Rheta Grimsley Johnson, a nationally syndicated columnist, will receive the 2010 Clarence Cason Award in Nonfiction Writing from The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences Tuesday, March 9 at a dinner in her honor at the Hotel Capstone.
Johnson has received many of journalism’s highest awards, including the American Society of Newspaper Editors’ Distinguished Writing Award, the National Headliners Award and the Ernie Pyle Award, and she was one of three finalists for the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
She has written several books, including her most recent, “Enchanted Evening Barbie and the Second Coming,” an extended memoir.
Born in Colquitt, Ga., and raised in Montgomery, Johnson attended Lee High School and then Auburn University where she was the hard-driving editor of The Auburn Plainsman. Her leadership won her the 1974-75 National Pacemaker Award.
The journalism department in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at UA established the Cason Award in 1997 to honor exemplary non-fiction over a long career. All of the recipients have had strong connections to the state of Alabama.
Tickets for the dinner honoring Johnson are $50. The event will begin with a 6 p.m. reception. Johnson will accept the award and speak at the dinner. To order tickets, phone Sheila Davis at 205/348-4787.
The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is experiencing significant growth in both enrollment and academic quality. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.
CONTACT: Deidre Stalnaker, UA Media Relations, dstalnaker@ur.ua.edu; To Order Tickets: Sheila Davis, 205/348-4787, shdavis@ua.edu