12/3/01

AU HONORS NOTED PHYSICIAN; PHILANTHROPIST COUPLE IN NEW YORK

AUBURN - The College of Human Sciences at Auburn University Monday announced the recipients of the prestigious International Quality of Life Awards to South Carolina physician Dr. Jack McConnell and Montgomery philanthropists Winton M. "Red" and Carolyn Blount.

Presented annually since 1994, the awards honor those who have made significant contributions to communities at home and around the world. Each year, the awards are presented at the United Nations in a unique ceremony hosted by AU.

McConnell is a nationally recognized physician and medical researcher who has dedicated his retirement to helping the medically underserved. The Blounts have devoted their lives to enhancing their Alabama community through contributions to the arts, business and education.

"The International Quality of Life Awards are a remarkable opportunity for Auburn University to recognize those individuals who are not only inspiring role models for our students, but also for our communities and the entire world," said William F. Walker, interim president of Auburn University.

June Henton, dean of AU's College of Human Sciences, said, "The greatest lesson today's young men and women can learn from the exemplary lives of the people whom we are honoring is that a quality education, indeed a quality life, is not just a matter of the mind, but also of the heart."

McConnell had a distinguished career as a medical researcher, making significant contributions in the development of an early version of the polio vaccine, of Tylenol tablets and of the first commercial MRI system used in the U.S.

In 1993, he opened a free South Carolina health clinic for the medically underserved, named the Volunteers In Medicine. Since then, he has assisted with the development of 17 other clinics around the country. VIM health care clinics are staffed by retired medical professionals who care for the working uninsured.

"Anyone of Dr. McConnell's extraordinary accomplishments as a biomedical researcher would qualify him as a Quality of Life recipient," Henton said. "However, what truly distinguishes him is the role he has assumed as an innovative health care advocate and champion for those who do not have a voice in society.

"In light of the horrific events that have shaken our country recently, it is very symbolic that our honoree has devoted his life to healing and saving lives. His tireless efforts to improve the human condition is an inspiration to us all."

Lifetime Achievement Award honorees, Winton M. "Red" and Carolyn Blount, are an inspiring duo, but their lives as individuals are just as noteworthy. Winton Blount served as Postmaster General under President Nixon and on the national Advisory Committee on Enforcement of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Carolyn Blount played an active role in the development of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. By combining their mutual love of children and interest in the arts, the Blounts have opened doors for young lives through scholarships, musical auditions and opportunities that were previously unavailable to them.

"As citizens of Alabama, we owe a deep debt of gratitude to Winton and Carolyn Blount for the countless ways they, both as individuals and as a couple, have touched and enriched our lives," Henton said. "Their philanthropic efforts, especially in the arts, and their abiding commitment to social responsibility have had a major impact on our quality of life."

McConnell and the Blounts share the honor of receiving AU's International Quality of Life Awards with past honorees Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity International, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of Capetown, South Africa, and Don Logan, chairman and CEO of Time, Inc.

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