The Yankee Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America presented College President James Freedman with its Yankee Award last night in Bedford.
The award recognizes individuals who understand and use public relations principles in their careers, but are not public relations professionals.
"It's really a tribute to Dartmouth for the way the College has handled public relations in my eight years here," Freedman said in a telephone interview last night. "It's an award for Rick Adams and Roland Adams and Alex Huppe."
Rick Adams is the public information manager for the News Service, Roland Adams is the News Service's assistant director and Alex Huppe is the News Service director. Huppe is leaving his post on Oct. 1 to become the director of public affairs at Harvard University.
Past recipients of the Yankee Award include Dr. Sylvio Dupuis --insurance commissioner for the State of New Hampshire, former president of Catholic Medical Center and former Mayor of Manchester -- and Lew Feldstein, president of New Hampshire Charitable Trust.
"I think we've been very candid," Freedman said. "One of the things they talked about was the candor with which we handled my cancer ... how we were public about that and didn't try to hide things."
Freedman, who said he was "really very honored to receive the award," was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in April 1994. The College immediately made a public announcement about the diagnosis. Freedman finished six months of chemotherapy for the cancer in November.
"I think what we've tried to do, I hope with some success, is be honest and candid with the press, and that's really a tribute to the News Service," Freedman said.
