The E. Gordon Poling Award was established in 1991. E. Gordon Poling was born to a farm family in Iowa and learned early the need for hard work. he sometimes stated that he started work at age 13 and had never stopped. He spent his early professional career in public school work in Iowa and stated his personal motto as "I have always tried to treat people fairly." Dr. Poling served the University of South Dakota and future counselors for 29 years. He was chairperson of the Division of Educational Psychology and Counseling from 1979-1990. During his tenure at the University and through his active leadership in the profession in the state and region, he never lost his ability to nurture students and fellow professionals. Dr. Poling served as only the second chair of the USD Counseling Department, and is credited by his colleagues with spearheading the development of the counseling program at USD.  He was a true counselor educator. Gordon died on August 30, 1990. As a memorial to Dr. Poling, the SD Counseling Association Board of Directors voted to rename the administrator award in his honor. 

Dr. Joan England of USD, a longtime colleague , observed of him, "Gordon was a humble man. He never knowingly called attention to himself, yet he was a person whose counsel was sought. His opinion was highly valued by students and colleagues who spent time with him. We who knew him are deeply grateful for the opportunity to count Gordon as a friend and colleague."

Winners of this award must:

• Have demonstrated an understanding of the counseling profession and unqualified support of it. 
• Be in some kind supervisory position over counselors, counselor-interns, or students of counseling.