Professors receiving awards are not uncommon news, unless it’s an uncommon award.

Professor Thomas E. Walsh, head of Iowa State’s hotel, restaurant, and institution management department, recently received the most prestigious award given away by CHRIE.

CHRIE, which stands for Council for Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education, gives out the Howard B. Meek Award every year for the person belonging to the organization that has illustrated outstanding service to hospitality education. The award also recognizes Walsh’s lifetime of contribution to the organization and the hotel, restaurant, and institution management society.

CHRIE has approximately 1200 members. Members include almost all people involved in the education of hotel, restaurant and institution management.

Walsh has been a member of CHRIE since 1962 and has been the head of the department of hotel, restaurant, and institution management at Iowa State since 1982. Along with these responsibilities, Walsh served as chair for the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration from 1991-1993. Prior to that time he served as treasurer.

“I have been chair of five accreditation groups that created four-year programs. They have now started to accredit two-year programs. The most important help that I’ve given to this organization is to the development and initiation of the accreditation programs,” Walsh said.

Cathy Hsu, assistant professor in hotel, restaurant and institution management at ISU, spoke highly of Walsh’s achievements.”Since [Walsh] has been head of the department, the department of hotel, restaurant, and institutional management has gained respect and has become highly regarded nationally,” Hsu said.

The enrollment in the department has also increased, Hsu said to approximately 300 students.

Walsh also has improved the departments curriculum, said Hsu, by making it more oriented to the commercial-market. He included hotel and restaurant management to the curriculum.

The Howard B. Meek Award serves as a memorial to Meek, who was a former president and executive vice president of CHRIE. Meek is also looked upon as the pioneer of American hospitality education.

“Meek was dean and founder of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration,” Walsh said.

Walsh’s commitment and service to Iowa State, CHRIE, and the hotel restaurant, and institutional administration made him a candidate and recipient to CHRIE’s most prestigious award.