Charles L. Farris Award

Southwest NAHRO has been honoring the work and dedication of Mr. Charles L. Farris for 27 years by awarding a deserving individual the “Charles L. Farris” Award each year during the Southwest NAHRO Annual Conference.  From 1949 – 1953, Farris was the Deputy Director of HUD’s predecessor agency, the Housing and Home Finance Agency.  He then moved to St. Louis to work for the Land Clearance and Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) where he was the Executive Director from 1953 – 1989, serving under five of the city’s mayors.  In 1983, Southwest NAHRO established the Charles L. Farris Award to honor Charley.  The award is given annually to a person who has shown a personal commitment to the future of housing and redevelopment.  Although Charles L. Farris passed away in the spring of 2001, his spirit lives on and his life’s accomplishments continue to set a benchmark for which professionals in the fields of housing and community development should strive to reach. The Charles L. Farris award is the most prestigious award an individual can receive from Southwest NAHRO. 

1983 Charles L. Farris*
St. Louis, Missouri

1984 Jack Kastor *
Dallas, Texas

1985 Ruthmary Price*
Corpus Christi, Texas

1986 Paul Chapman
Tulsa, Oklahoma
(Springdale, Arkansas)

1986 Bill George*
Little Rock, Arkansas

1987 Philip  W. Miller
Iowa, Louisiana

1989 William S. Clements*
North Little Rock, Arkansas

1990 Jack Herrington
Salado, Texas

1991 Gloria Bybee
Tulsa, Oklahoma

1992 L. H. “Doc” McCloney*
Waco, Texas

1993 Apolonio “NoNo” Flores
San Antonio, Texas

1994 Nadine Burch*
Topeka, Kansas

1995 Frank Wilcox
Monroe, Louisiana

1996 James R. Coleman
Camden, Arkansas

1997 Alyce S. Flanary (Terry)
Belton, Texas ( Lindale, Texas)

1997 C.K. Odor*
Columbia, Missouri

1998 Michael Hanratty+
Fort Worth, Texas

1998 Frank Hornsby*
San Antonio, Texas

1999 Gertrude Broach
Church Point, Louisiana

2000 Doris M. Chiles*
Columbia, Missouri

2001 T. Ralph Stone*
Caruthersville, Missouri

2002 Thomas J Ninke+
Victoria, Texas

2003 Kay Absher*
Norman, Oklahoma

2004 Patty Van Weelden
Springfield, Missouri

2005 Bobby Cunningham
Tulsa, Oklahoma

2006 Charles Marinec
Springfield, Missouri

2007 Jim Firmin
Morgan City, Louisiana

2008 Tom Oliver
Waco, Texas

2009 JD  Foster
Muskogee, Oklahoma

2010 Evalene Tarlton,
Poinsett County, Arkansas

* Deceased                  + Posthumous Award