Harry T. Eidson Founders Award
In 1995, the Harry T. Eidson Founders Award was established to honor the memory of ASPPA’s founder, Harry T. Eidson, FSPA, CPC. Eidson was the initial inspiration behind the formation of ASPPA in 1966. He firmly believed in the importance of a private workplace retirement system for the United States and was committed to building an organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing such a system. Each year, ASPPA honors one or two individuals with this award.
There are two award recipient categories: one award may be presented to an ASPPA member, and one may be presented to someone outside of ASPPA. Both awards acknowledge individuals who have made significant contributions to ASPPA and/or to the private workplace retirement system. Each year, the ASPPA Leadership Council selects the award recipient(s) from the list of nominees, assuming there are deserving candidates. Nominations for the award are sought from those working in the retirement industry as well as from the ASPPA membership.
We encourage you to take the time and nominate a worthy candidate for either of these two prestigious award categories. Anyone who knows of eligible candidates may submit nominations for these awards.
The following criteria are used to determine the nominees for both award categories:
- The contribution must be consistent with ASPPA's mission and should have a lasting, positive influence on ASPPA or the private workplace retirement system.
- The contribution may be current, one that spanned many years, or one made years ago from which ASPPA or the private workplace retirement system benefits today.
- The contribution should be a result of time devoted above and beyond reasonable expectations and not a result of time spent primarily for personal gain.
- The contribution may have been made and/or recognized on a national or regional level; however, publicity is not a criterion.
Please note that award recipients need not be ASPPA members. Each recipient of the award receives a personalized award memento in recognition of the achievement, hotel accommodation and airfare to attend the awards presentation at the ASPPA Annual Conference, and recognition in the ASPPA Connect eNewsletter. In addition, each recipient's name is engraved on a permanent plaque displayed in the American Retirement Association office.