| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2007 |
CONTACT: Beth Felice (800) 357-0909 beth @ mohumanities.org |
Each year the Governor of Missouri and the Missouri Humanities Council celebrate the accomplishments of people who have made exceptional contributions to our understanding of Missouri, its people, and its stories. The Humanities Education Award recognizes one or more teachers of English, history, languages or social studies, grades K-12 in public or private Missouri schools. .
William Luce is the embodiment of excellence in humanities education. As a teacher at Savannah High School in Savannah, Missouri since 1976, he has led three decades of students to a deeper understanding of United States’ and world history. Perhaps even more significantly, since 1977 he has coached hundreds of students and created what is almost certainly the most successful Quiz Bowl Team in Missouri history.
Under Bill Luce’s guidance, the Savannah High School Quiz Bowl Team won the National Championship in 1988 and remains the smallest public high school in the United States to have won a national title. His team has finished as one of the top ten teams nationally five times. It won the Missouri State Championship in 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006. The team took second place in the state tournament in 2000, 2001, and 2005. In total, the team has won 143 Quiz Bowl tournaments. Bill has been recognized as Quiz Bowl Coach of the Year six times for his successes.
“As an alumnus of Mr. Luce’s quiz bowl team and having chosen to enroll in nearly every course he taught at Savannah High School, I can attest that Mr. Luce created in me—and scores of other students—a lifelong love of learning in the humanities,” said Eric Zahnd, Council board member and Platte County Prosecuting Attorney. “Mr. Luce consistently achieved for more than 30 years what most history teachers only achieve for some students on a few occasions: He inspired students to question the world around them and consider how the study of history can inform one’s personal future.”
Bill Luce’s teaching career has spanned 35 years, four years in Hamilton, Missouri, and the last 31 at Savannah. He was selected by the St. Joseph area Phi Delta Kappa as their Teacher of the Year in 2000. He has been selected by his Savannah students for numerous honors including the 1995 & 1997 Student Body selection for Teacher of the Year. Bill was named 10 times by Savannah students attending the Missouri Scholars Academy as the teacher who has had the biggest impact on their lives.
Shawn Logan, Quiz Bowl Coach from Smithville High School and former President of the Missouri Academic Coaches Association presented the Carol Farmer Award based on years of service to Quiz Bowl. Bill Luce is Past President and charter member of the Missouri Academic Coaches Association.
“Mr. Luce has an infectious zeal for learning,” continued Zahnd. “Though soft-spoken and far from flashy, he has an innate ability to motivate students to excel. Mr. Luce is retiring from full-time teaching and his Quiz Bowl coaching duties at the end of the 2006-2007 school year. He is a highly deserving recipient of this award, and it is fitting that he would receive it at the culmination of his distinguished teaching career.”
These awards are based on nominations from the public, for outstanding contributions by a person, group, or organization to the humanities in Missouri. The deadline for submission for next year's awards is Friday, January 25th, 2008. To submit a nomination, please complete a one page information form, and include a one page summary and any supporting material to illustrate the nominee's accomplishments.
Missouri Humanities Council
543 Hanley Industrial Ct., Ste. 201
St. Louis, MO 63144-1905
(314) 781-9660 (800) 357-0909