Defender of Democracy Award

The Defender of Democracy Award, recognizing outstanding service as a champion of the League’s mission of empowering voters and defending democracy, is presented at the annual meeting to a member or members not presently serving on the Board of Directors.

Defender of Democracy Award winners

Cindy Lindquist, 2022
Paul Lindquist, 2022
Aileen Nettleton, 2023
Joy Cardin, 2024

Carrie Chapman Catt Award* winners

Frances Bicknell, 2005
Constance F. Threinen, 2005
Mary Bean, 2006
Marilyn Slautterback, 2007
Carol Kiemel, 2008
Dorothy Wheeler, 2009
Clare McArdle, 2010
Cynthia Benevenga, 2011
Priscilla Thain, 2012
Laura Chern, 2013

*Each year, from 2005 through 2021, the Carrie Chapman Catt Award was presented to a member or members not presently serving on the Board of Directors, as a tribute to their years of excellence in contributing to the community, in making a sustained commitment to the League and to its governing principles, and in fulfilling the words of our founder, Carrie Chapman Catt, in 1920: “What should be done can be done; what can be done let us do.”

In 2022, as part of owning some of the white supremacist views of some of the League’s past leaders, including Carrie Chapman Catt, our League chose to retire this award and recognize outstanding service with the Defender of Democracy Award. You can read more about the reasons for this change in the May 2022 issue of the Bulletin.