Donald R. Perkins, who retired last year as director of public relations, has been awarded one of his field's highest honors for contributions to his profession.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) presented the 1998 Frank Ashmore Award to Perkins on July 12 during the organization's Annual Assembly in Chicago. The award recognized Perkins' years of work as a public relations teacher, author and mentor.

Perkins, who served 27 years at Wittenberg, follows the late vice president emeritus W. Emerson Reck as a Wittenberg recipient of the Ashmore Award. Reck, one of the nation's pioneers in the field of college public relations, was honored in 1977.

CASE, with national offices in Washington, D.C., provides professional development for almost 16,000 communications, fund raising and alumni administration professionals representing 2,900 colleges and universities. Perkins' teaching in CASE seminars and workshops across the country for almost 20 years included a number of assignments as chair of, and lecturer at, the CASE Summer Institute in Communications.

"Certainly Don's depth of involvement in CASE and his commitment to higher education for more than 20 years makes him most deserving of this award," said Eustace D. Theodore, president of CASE.

In a nomination letter to CASE, George T Richard, assistant vice president and director of college relations at Baldwin-Wallace College, stated, "During the quarter of a century that our paths have crossed he has never lost a flicker of his fire for his profession...or for doing everything he could to advance it."

Among his many publications are chapters in college public relations books dealing with public relations planning,communications support for capital cam paigns, working with the president in public relations and marketing news to the media.

A former member of CASE'S board of directors, Perkins, 62, was elected in 1988 to the national Educational Roundtable, an organization of leaders in college public relations and fund raising.

He is an honorary Wittenberg alumnus and a recipient of the Class of 1914 Award, both designating meritorious service.

Perkins, a graduate of the University of Dayton with a master's degree from Miami University, is now a consultant to liberal arts colleges.