Have you ever won a trophy for reading?

I have had one setting on my desk since I was in Grade School.

Back in 1978 we had a reading program in Ottumwa, Iowa.

We would read books and write a report about them and then win awards for different levels of books read.

You can see that I have ribbons for 50 books and there is a 25 book one underneath it.

The award was the Orville J. Amosson Reading Award. The award was signed by one of my favorite grade school teachers.

I have had this trophy sitting on my desk for so many years, and did not know who the award was named after. Perhaps I knew at the time, but I have never researched who Amosson was. Tonight I did some research and found out the Orville J. Amosson had spent 35 years as a teacher and administrator in Ottumwa and had just retired in 1977. This program must have been set up to celebrate his retirement. I received the trophy for being one of the top readers in my grade. I remember the ceremony as it was held in the recently redeveloped downtown.

I also found out that after his retirement Amosson moved to Minnesota and lived there until his passing in 2004 at the age of 92. I am glad to know more about one of the programs that spurred my love of reading when I was young.

I don’t know if the program continued as we moved away from Ottumwa in the summer of 1978. However, seeing the trophy every day brings back memories of how important reading is to young kids.

Steven