The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Lawrence O'Brien Award was created in 1992 by the family of Lawrence Francis "Larry" O'Brien Jr. (1917-1990) and Democratic Party leaders to recognize the many years of service he gave to the party and his belief in the contribution of party volunteers. Since then, party leaders presented this award on five occasions to 94 winners from across the United States.
The award honors the importance of this contribution to the continuing success and vitality of the party. It's given to individuals and groups who exhibit a high degree of commitment and self-sacrifice on behalf of the party and its candidates.
The award was expanded in 1998 to help mark the 150th anniversary of the DNC. Party leaders honored an individual or group from every commonwealth, district, state and territory and six individuals nationally. Through the generosity of the O'Brien family, award winners also received financial grants.
A news report which was published in 2000 by Insight magazine described a 1998 controversy about e-mail messages which were written between Clinton-Gore Administration staff members and 1996 presidential reelection campaign staffers about political fundraising by Administration staffers. Some of the messages were written in 1996 and solicited the award for a campaign contributor.
Award winners are selected from among many nominations received from party leaders, appointed and elected public officials, and other Democrats in the United States. Each winner worked at the local-, state- or national-party levels, including assisting candidates for elected public office. Furthermore, the winners made personal, family or financial sacrifices, or otherwise showed unusual or extraordinary dedication to the furtherance of the goals of the party, without financial remuneration or professional gain.
Miguel A. Hernández Agosto, Territory of Puerto Rico, 1998Pongsun Choi "Sunny" Allen, State of Ohio, 1995Patsy B. Arceneaux, State of Louisiana, 1998Pat Banditch, State of Colorado, 1998Rachel "Rae" Barone, State of New York, 1998Bettina Basanow, State of Colorado, 1993John Beemer, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1998Mitchell Berger, State of Florida, 1994Milton Bronstein, State of Rhode Island, 1998Raymond Buckley, State of New Hampshire, 1998Lucy Madden Buntain, State of Nebraska, 1998Virginia H. Cain, State of Nevada, 1998Sara Caldwell, State of Tennessee, 1994Ellen Callanan, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1998Billie Carr, State of Texas, 1998Bethine Church, State of Idaho, 1998College Democrats of America, District of Columbia, 1993Laura Comini, State of Oregon, 1998Carolyn H. Covington, State of Alaska, 1998Joseph F. Crangle, State of New York, 1992Al Davidson, Democrats Abroad, 1998Felisa Rincón de Gautier, Territory of Puerto Rico, 1992Harold Demarest Jr., State of Oregon, 1995Nancy Dick, State of Florida, 1998Abbi Easter, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1998Ed Fibiger, State of North Dakota, 1998Irene Findlater, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1993C. Pat Frank, State of Oklahoma, 1998Anita Freedman, State of New Hampshire, 1994Lutu Tenari Fuimaono, Territory of American Samoa, 1998James "Jim" Gallagher, State of Oklahoma, 1998George Gaukler, State of North Dakota, 1995Eugenia Gil, State of Connecticut, 1998Diane Glasser, State of Florida, 1994Kevin Gover, State of New Mexico, 1993Susan Gwinn, State of Ohio, 1998Laurence Hansen, State of Minnesota, 1995Marsha Harbaugh, State of Wyoming, 1998Nettie Harrelson, State of New Mexico, 1995William "Bill" Hegarty, State of Arizona, 1998Rosa Holliday, State of Michigan, 1998Billie Houck, State of Iowa, 1998Anthony Hyde, Democrats Abroad, 1998Kathy Jamison, State of Delaware, 1998Harold Jinks, State of Arkansas, 1992Alan Karcher, State of New Jersey, 1998Richard Kennedy, State of New Mexico, 1998Donna Kilpatrick, State of Montana, 1998Peg Kirkpatrick, State of Hawaii, 1998John Kukulka, State of Connecticut, 1994Pauline Locklear, State of North Carolina, 1998Sarah Lodge, State of Arkansas, 1998Lewis Manilow, State of Illinois, 1998Louis Martin, State of California, 1992Joan Mathews, State of Georgia, 1992Tony Mathews, State of Georgia, 1992Johnoween S. Mathis, State of Texas, 1992Charles H.A. McAlpin, Territory of Virgin Islands, 1998Ethel McBrayer, Commonwealth of Kentucky, 1998Jim McConaha, State of New Hampshire, 1998Gertrude McConahay, State of Indiana, 1998Eunice Mixon, State of Georgia, 1998Bennie Moore, State of Florida, 1995Fran Moyer, State of Washington, 1998Anne Murphy, State of Colorado, 1995David Nelson, State of Utah, 1998Madge Overhouse, State of California, 1994Frances Parrilla, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1998James J. Pasma, State of Montana, 1992Carol Pensky, State of Maryland, 1994Betsy Rader, State of South Carolina, 1998Philip J. Rock, State of Illinois, 1992Emma D. Sanders, State of Mississippi, 1998Margaret Schelen, State of California, 1993Karen Schuler, State of Maine, 1998Gene Sisneros, State of New Mexico, 1998Edward Smith, State of Illinois, 1995Mark E. Sostarich, State of Wisconsin, 1998Mariquita "Tita" Torres Souder, Territory of Guam, 1998Alta Stephens, State of Missouri, 1998Saul Stern, State of Maryland, 1995Elbert "Willie" Suggs, District of Columbia, 1998Lucille Thu, State of South Dakota, 1998Beatrice Tignor, State of Maryland, 1998Maida Townsend, State of Vermont, 1998Bea Underwood, State of Minnesota, 1998Beulah Vernon, State of Oklahoma, 1993Pam Wallace, State of Alabama, 1998Margaret B. Walsh, State of West Virginia, 1992West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women, State of West Virginia, 1998Tom Whipple, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1998Karen Wingard, State of California, 1998Esther Wright, State of Tennessee, 1998Irene G. Younkman, State of Kansas, 1998