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Awards Committee Home PageCertificates may be given to individuals, jointly to no more than three individuals, or to organizations. Several Certificates of Merit may be awarded each year for specific accomplishments in cave exploration, study, conservation, or for accomplishments which further other goals of the NSS.
| 1950 | J Harlan Bretz: Contributions to the knowledge of cave origins |
| William Davies: Description cave geology, especially state-wide cave surveys of West Virginia and Maryland | |
| Betty Yoe: Service as NSS News mailer and NSS membership maintenance | |
| Ruben Garcia: Organizing speleological congress in Monterrey, Mexico | |
| 1951 | Leroy Foote: Service as NSS Treasurer for past 8 years |
| John Petrie: Service as an NSS officer for 10 years | |
| Betty Yoe: Retiring as financial secretary of the NSS | |
| 1952 | Eugenio de Bellard Pietri: Helping arrange expedition to Venezuela and studies of the caves there |
| Chrissy Mansfield: Service as recording secretary for several years | |
| 1953 | Tex Helm: Photography in Carlsbad Caverns, especially the famous color photograph of the Big Room |
| Robert Lewis: Service for 5 years as business manager of the NSS News | |
| Western Maryland Railway: Assistance in investigation of the deposits in Cumberland Bone Cave | |
| 1954 | Robert Hatt: Book Faunal and Archeological Researches in Yucatan Caves |
| 1955 | Burton Frost: Service as an officer of the NSS |
| William Hill: Service as editor of the NSS News | |
| Jerome Ludlow: Service as editor of NSS Bulletins 11–16 | |
| George Moore: Contributions to speleology | |
| Bernard Smeltzer: Contributions to Bulletin 15, Caves of Pennsylvania | |
| Ivan Sanderson: Service as on officer of the NSS | |
| 1956 | Loran Woods, Robert Inger: Studies of North American cave fishes |
| John W. Twente, Jr.: Dissertation on bats in gypsum caves | |
| Roger Brucker, members of the Flint Ridge Project: Surveys showing cave development in flat-bedded limestone | |
| Albert Skira, George Baittelle, Hans Hinz, Claudio Elmer: Book Lascaux, or the Birth of Art | |
| 1957 | Alfred Bogli: Exploration and mapping of Holloch Cave |
| Huntley Ingalls: Photo-documentation of Cass Cave | |
| Dorothy Reville: Editing the NSS News | |
| 1958 | Philip Livingston: Publisher of last ten issues of the NSS Bulletin |
| Philip Smith: Applying speleological techniques to arctic crevasses | |
| William White, Robert Dunn, Russell Howard, other members of the Pittsburgh Grotto: The Speleo Digest | |
| Burton Faust: Extraordinary service to the NSS in many capacities | |
| Antonio Nunez-Jimenez: Exploration and study of Cuban caves | |
| 1959 | Majorie Sweeting: Geological studies of caves in England and Jamaica |
| Jean Corbel: Monograph Les karsts de nord-ouest de l’Europe and other studies | |
| Orlando Park: Studies of cave beetles of family Pselaphidae | |
| 1960 | William Halliday: Book Adventure is Underground |
| Tom Harrison: Archaeological work in the caves of Borneo | |
| Joseph Lawrence, Jr.: Organizing the 1954 Crystal Cave Expedition | |
| Brian O’Brien: Describing caves in Australia, founding the Australian Speleological Federation | |
| Clay Perry: Books on the caves of New York and New England | |
| 1961 | Thomas Barr, Jr.: Studies on evolution and ecology of cave animals |
| George Deike III: Thesis on cave development in Burnsville Cove | |
| Oscar Hawksley, Frank Dahlgren, Jerry Vineyard: Missouri Speleological Survey: 1962 | |
| Samual Davis: Business manager of the NSS News | |
| Aola Richards: Cave biology of Australia and New Zealand | |
| 1963 | Richard Anderson: NSS Cave Files Committee |
| Masuzo Ueno: Cave fauna of Japan and surrounding islands | |
| Dwight Deal, Herb Conn, Jan Conn: Survey of Jewel Cave | |
| 1964 | James Reddell: Texas Speleological Survey |
| Hubert Trimmel: Internationale Bibliographie fur Spelaologie | |
| 1965 | Henry Douglas: Caves of Virginias |
| Arthur Lange, Raymond deSaussure: Cave Research Association, Cave Notes | |
| 1966 | John Guilday: Paleontology at New Paris sinkholes |
| Allen McCrady: Speleo Digest editing | |
| Hermine Zotter: Water tracing in West Virginia | |
| 1967 | Lewis Bicking: Friars Hole Cave System |
| Donald Coumoyer: Years of service as NSS officer | |
| Russell Gurnee: Rio Camuy Cave Project | |
| Victor Schmidt: Efforts in cave conservation | |
| 1968 | Ralph Ewers, museum board of directors: Cave exhibits at Cincinnati Museum of Natural History |
| John Fish, Terry Raines, William Russell: Mexican caves, Caves of the Inter-American Highway | |
| Theodore Schad: Financial work for the NSS and National Speleological Foundation | |
| 1969 | John Cooper, Tom Johnson, the Huntsville Grotto: Shelta Cave Project |
| John Carman: Legal advice to the NSS | |
| 1970 | John Holsinger: Dissertation on amphipod genus Stygonectes |
| Robert Mitchell: Dissertation on carabid beetle Rhadine subterranea | |
| Arthur Palmer: Dissertation on Indiana karst hydrology | |
| George Deike III: Dissertation on cave development in Mammoth Cave region | |
| 1971 | George Benjamin: Exploration of underwater caves in the Caribbean |
| Derek Ford: Contributions to cave geology, leading the Macmaster University karst research team | |
| Victor Schmidt: Contributions of cave conservation | |
| 1972 | Douglas Medville, Hazel Medville: Book Caves of Randolph County |
| Richard Franz and Dennis Slifer: Book Caves of Maryland | |
| Larry E. Matthews: Book Descriptions of Tennessee Caves | |
| 1973 | Charles Brown: Dissertation on karst in the Canadian Rockies |
| Cave Research Foundation: Flint-Mammoth connection | |
| Pete Lindsley: Guadalupe Cave Survey | |
| William Varnedoe: Founding Huntsville Grotto, leadership in Alabama Cave Survey | |
| 1974 | Joseph Jennings: Research on karst throughout the world |
| Watson Monroe: Study of Puerto Rican karst, glossary of karst | |
| Henry Rauch: Dissertation research in the Appalachians, karst research center at West Virginia University | |
| Roger Baroody: Caving in the Virginias, West Virginia Speleological Survey | |
| Betty Mayo: Establishing a functional NSS office in Huntsville | |
| 1975 | Robert Stitt: Efforts on cave conservation |
| Tom Poulson: Studies of aquatic cave animals | |
| Stewart Peck: Chairing the Stone Research Grant Committee | |
| Patty Jo Watson: Book Archeology of the Mammoth Cave Area | |
| 1976 | Ray Mansfield, Tony Oldham: Current Titles in Speleology |
| Peter Thompson, Russell Harmon: Pioneering efforts in radioactive dating and climate interpretation | |
| Richard Powell: Dissertation on Indiana karst | |
| 1977 | Stewart Peck: Outstanding papers in biospeleology |
| John Stokes: Computerizing the NSS membership list | |
| 1978 | Neil Montgomery: Book Single Rope Techniques |
| Carol Hill: Book Cave Minerals | |
| David Culver: Studies of ecology of acquatic cave animals | |
| Sara Corrie: Good fellowship and enthusiasm in vertical caving | |
| 1979 | Albert Hawkins: Mammoth Cave National Park master plan |
| Mark Grady and Mike McEachern: Cave inventory and evaluation in New Melones area | |
| 1980 | Daniel Smith: Founding the National Cave Rescue Commission |
| John Meenehan: Preserving the Culverwell drawings | |
| 1981 | Albert Mueller: Service to the National Speleological Foundation |
| Bernard Geze: Distinguished foreign contributions to speleology | |
| Ivan Gams: Distinguished foreign contributions to speleology | |
| 1982 | Organizing Committee of the Eighth International Congress of Speleology: 8th ICS |
| Roger Brucker, Richard Murray: Book Trapped! | |
| Sarah Bishop: Work on designation of Mammoth Cave as a World Heritage Site | |
| 1983 | Lynn Miller, Jane Miller: Indiana cave protection bill |
| Fred Grady: Trout Rock caves acquisition | |
| 1984 | Nicholas Crawford: Karst studies program at Mammoth Cave |
| Kenrick Day: Conservation of Onyx Cave | |
| Percy Dougherty: Cave Creek Cave Wilderness Study Area | |
| 1985 | James Hedges: Editing the NSS Bulletin |
| James Johnston: Managing NSS office and Shelta Cave | |
| Jerry Thornton: Memorandum of Understanding with BLM | |
| 1986 | Frank Howarth: Studies of cave fauna of lava tubes |
| Fred Stone: Studies of Australian cave fauna | |
| 1987 | The Bighorn Cave Research Project: Cave exploration and study |
| Mike Dyas: Writing the "Dyas Digest" in NSS News | |
| Michael DiTonto: Karst research in Jamaica | |
| 1988 | Allen Padgett, Bruce Smith: Book On Rope |
| The Huautla Project: Cave exploration and mapping | |
| John Cook: Legal work | |
| 1989 | Allen McCrady, Harold Hamilton: Paleontology field laboratory at New Paris sinkholes |
| John Scheltens, Janet Thorne: Federal Cave Resource Protection Act | |
| Organ Cave System Project: Book Caves of the Organ Cave Plateau | |
| 1990 | Wakulla Springs Project: Exploration of Wakulla Springs and book |
| Gary Tennen, Randy Tuffs: Exploration and protection of Kartchner Caverns | |
| Peter Bosted, Karen Lindsley: Book Atlas of the Great Caves of the World | |
| Philip Lucas: Computerization of Virginia Speleological Survey cave files | |
| 1991 | Judy Stack, Pennsylvania Cave Law Task Force: Passage of state cave protection act |
| Proyecto Papalo: Exploration of Sistema Cuicateco (now Cheve) | |
| 1992 | Colorado Grotto, management of Cave of the Winds: Management of Silent Splendor in Cave of the Winds |
| Spring Mill Project: Exploration and mapping of caves in an Indiana state park | |
| 50-Year History Committee: NSS history book Caving in America | |
| 1993 | Karlin Meyers, Ernie Garza, Proyecto Cerro Rabon: Exploration project in southern Mexico |
| Dave Belski, Steve Peerman: New Mexico Gypsum Karst Project (GYPKAP) | |
| David Culver, Horton Hobbs III: Popular education in biospeleology | |
| Scott Hollow Project: Study of West Virginia cave | |
| 1994 | William Balfour: Databases on West Virginia caves |
| John Sutter: Cavers’ e-mail list | |
| Nicholas Crawford, Western Kentucky University Center for Cave and Karst Studies: Summer speleology courses at Mammoth Cave | |
| 1995 | George Dasher: Books On Station, The Caves and Karst of the Buckeye Creek Basin |
| Trevor Ford: Editing British journal Cave and Karst Science | |
| Don Paquette: Leadership in National Cave Rescue Commission | |
| Tom Rea: NSS membership database program | |
| 1996 | The Lint Pickers Project: Conservation work in Carlsbad Caverns National Park |
| Keith Dunlap, Indiana Karst Conservancy: Karst protection during Indiana highway project | |
| 1997 | Joshua Abdulla: Development of NSS Web home page |
| George Veni, Daniel Chess: Organizing AAAS symposium "Interactions of Karst Geology and Ecology" | |
| 1998 | Southeastern Cave Conservancy: Purchase of Neversink Pit |
| Ira Sasowsky: Indexes to NSS Bulletin and Speleo Digest | |
| John Hempel: Preservation of Chestnut Ridge karst area | |
| 1999 | Great Saltpetre Cave Preserve Committee: Cave management and protection |
| Rod Horrocks: Coordination of volunteers at Timpanogos Cave National Monument | |
| Roswell Jones, Bruce Bannerman: AV support at NSS Photo Salon and Award Banquet | |
| 2000 | Christopher Richard: Cave exhibit at Oakland Museum |
| Front Royal Grotto: Protection of Riverside Karst Area, Virginia | |
| Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy: Purchase of Billy Clay Pit, West Virginia | |
| 2001 | Scott Fee: Series editor of Speleo Digest |
| VPI Grotto: Study for protection of karst resources in Skydusky Hollow, Virginia | |
| Randall Blackwood: Video Caves, Critters, and Speleology | |
| 2002 | Eric Hendrickson, Melissa Hendrickson: Passage of the Maine Cave Protection Law |
| Jim Nepstad: Cave management program at Wind Cave National Park | |
| Paul Stevens, Lee Stevens: Leadership of the NSS Salon Committee | |
| 2003 | Peter Bosted: Cartographic innovation at Lilburn Cave |
| Annette Long, Mark Long: Protection of Manatee Spring Cave | |
| Nashville Grotto: Protection of Spencer Mountain caves | |
| 2004 | Robert Burnett, Orion Knox: Cave restoration project at Gruta del Palmito, Mexico |
| Kevin Allred, Carlene Allred, Bob Richards: Kazumura Cave Atlas | |
| Guadalupe Area of Cave Research Foundation: Conservation and restoration projects at Carlsbad Caverns National Park | |
| 2005 | David Culver, William White: Book Encyclopedia of Caves |
| Kelly Deem: NSS fund-raising auctions at conventions | |
| Rocky Parsons: West Virginia Quarry Law | |
| 2006 | The Virginia Region: Efforts at Grand Caverns, Grottoes, Virginia |
| Gordon Brace, Germany Valley Karst Survey: Land-owner relations and exploration in Germany Valley, West Virginia | |
| 2007 | Val Hildreth-Werker and Jim C. Werker, for editing the book "Cave Conservation and Restoration" |
7/31/07
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