**BEFORE SUBMITTING AN "OF THE YEAR" AWARD NOMINATION, PLEASE READ ALL GUIDELINES AND RULES FOR EACH SPECIFIC AWARD**

In 1981, Dr. Robert Knight, then director of MIJA, nominated Associate Dean William H. Taft of the Missouri School of Journalism for a special award for his continuing and outstanding service to scholastic journalism.

Taft had evaluated more than 10,000 yearbooks for MIJA, thousands of books for National School Yearbook Association; directed two editions of a Newspaper Fund Summer Institute; served as director of Summer Media Workshop; developed a correspondence study version of Journalism 380 “High School Journalism;” plus wrote helpful articles for the MIJA News-gram and spoke at MIJA events. It was decided at that time that the special award would be named the “Taft Award.”
 
Please see all guidelines on the MIJA website: https://mipajournalism.com/awards/taft-award/ 

Submissions uploaded to the MIJA "Of the Year" Award Contests should be made according to these specifications:
---Follow all file submission guidelines for each item as indicated (i.e. upload either JPG of 2 MB or smaller or PDF of 25 MB or smaller, or copy and paste URL)
---Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the deadline day.
---Failure to follow these requirements will result in disqualification.