1990
Otis Social Justice Award Established
In 1990, the Marjorie Otis Memorial Lecture Series became the Otis Social Justice Symposium, and the focus of the event shifted from religious studies to the exploration of issues central to a just society, such as peace, hunger, human rights, economic equality and the protection of children.
Each symposium awards the Otis Social Justice Award to an individual committed to the values of community, integrity, diversity and service. The award includes an honorarium that recipients may designate to the cause of their choice.
The Otis Social Justice Symposium and Award derive from the generosity of the late Henry Witte Otis, longtime friend of the College and father of two Wheaton alumni. The Otis Fund memorializes his wife, Marjorie Maxfield Otis, and daughter Marilla Claire Otis Hiltz 1950.