A University of Houston College of Education professor and a distinguished UH Law Center alumnae will be honored Nov. 12 by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge (FFVF) for their outstanding work in promoting good citizenship principles.
Theresa Monaco, executive director of UH’s Center for the
Gifted and Talented, and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eugene A. Cook will both receive the FFVF’s George Washington Honor
Medal, the highest achievement awarded by the national organization.
Freedoms Foundation is a non-profit group that was established after World War II to honor patriotism and good citizenship. The organization’s annual National Awards Program honors citizens for their extraordinary efforts to educate their communities about the values of good citizenship, either through teaching or by example. A number of UH faculty, staff members and alumni, have received awards in various categories since UH began submitting nominations in 2000.
For over 40 years, Monaco has been a professor, resource, mentor, advisor and innovator at UH, dedicating herself to teaching tomorrow’s teachers. Monaco also has an international reputation as an academic expert and her work in the field of gifted and talented students has led to groundbreaking research articles and new methods of teaching. c
Cook
worked his entire career, in both the public and private sectors, to bolster
the public's perception of the legal profession. He also has been a
dedicated volunteer for Special Olympics Texas for more than 27 years.
After receiving his undergraduate degree in accounting from UH in 1961, Cook earned his doctor of jurisprudence degree from the UH Law Center in 1966. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the center in 1990.
Cook was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in 1988 by then-Gov. William P. Clements. Cook worked with other justices and a court-appointed committee to develop a statewide system for governing the conduct of Texas lawyers.
After serving on the Supreme Court from 1988 through 1992, he returned to Houston, where he joined the firm of Bracewell & Giuliani, serving as a senior partner until his retirement in 2002.
Note: The FFVF Awards Luncheon will be held on Nov. 12 at 11:00 am at the Houston Racquet Club at 10709 Memorial Dr. The cost to attend is $32 per person and checks can be mailed to FFVF Treasurer Betty Dossey, 1906 Rock Fence Drive, Richmond, TX 77406. Please indicate if you would like to be placed at a table with Monaco or Cook.