Thekla Reese Shackelford, 1956
B.A., Denison University
M.C., The Ohio State University
L.H.D., Denison University
Citation awarded May, 1992
Thekla Reese Shackelford’s roots lie deep in our college, beginning with her great-grandmother who graduated from the Granville Female College.
Her commitment to education has been the dominating theme of her professional and volunteer activities. Thekla founded School Selection Counseling in 1980 to assist students and parents in choosing colleges and preparatory schools. As a volunteer, she has worked tirelessly for the “I Know I Can” program in Columbus where she served as president of the Board of Trustees. This program seeks to assure every qualified Columbus high school graduate a chance to attend college.
This program has received national recognition and Thekla was named the 301st “Point of Light” by President Bush for this project and subsequently received the Ronald Reagan Award for Volunteer Excellence which thereby made her the Number One Volunteer in America.
She serves on numerous corporate and civic boards and was the first woman to be selected as president of the Columbus Foundation in 1986. Thekla has received various other awards for her volunteer service, including the Mayor’s Christopher Columbus Achievement Award “for meritorious community service” and the Temple Israel’s Humanitarian Service Award.
