Distinguished Citizens
Established by the Board of Governors in 1964, Chicago Scots Distinguished Citizen Award celebrates the enduring values Scots brought to America – equality, education, and enterprise. Each year Governors select an individual whose achievements and contributions to the greater good exemplify the very best qualities of the Scots.
1964 William Blackie, James B. Forgan, Jr., James G. McMillan, Hugh Robertson, R. Douglas Stuart
1965 Chief Judge William Campbell, John T. Pirie, D. W. Maxwell
1966 David M. Kennedy, Dr. J. Roscoe Miller
1967 Hughston McBain of McBain
1968 Fairfax M. Cone, Gov. Richard B. Ogilvie
1969 Lawrence A. Kimpton
1970 Foster Glendale McGaw
1971 Arthur MacDougal Wood
1972 Angus John Ray
1973 William B. Graham
1974 Angus Macdonald
1975 Dr. James Allan Campbell, The Hon. Edward Hirsch Levi
1976 Judge Thomas Roberts McMillen, William Wood-Prince
1977 Clayton Kirkpatrick
1978 Daniel Miller MacMaster
1979 James R. Munro
1980 William Harrison Fetridge
1981 Thomas G. Ayres
1982 Robert E. McMillan
1983 Harold Byron Smith, Jr.
1984 Robert D. Stuart, Jr.
1985 Stanton R. Cook
1986 Frederick G. Jaicks
1987 Bryan S. Reid, Jr.
1988 Silas Strawn Cathcart
1989 Kingman Douglass
1990 Dr. Robert E. J. Snyder
1991 Johnny “Red” Kerr
1992 S. Jay Stewart
1993 Andrew Thomson, M.D.
1994-95 Dawn Clark Netsch, William H. Alexander
1996 Calvin A. Campbell, E. Wayne Rethford
1997 Rev. John M. Buchanan
1998 John W. Cruikshank III
1999 The Hon. William J. Bauer
2001 Richard H. McKay
2002 Prof. Tony Jones (President Glasgow School of Art & School of Art Institute Chicago)
2003 Governor James R. Thompson (Governor of Illinois)
2004 David Stenhouse (BBC Scotland)
2005 Thomas J. Campbell (California Congressman, Stanford Law School)
2006 Alfred McDougal (Chicago Philanthropist)
2007 Barry MacLean (Chairman, MacLean Fogg)
2008 Arne Duncan (US Secretary for Education)
2009 Azeem Ibrahim (Scottish born philanthropist)
2010 Rachel Barton Pine (violinist)
2011 Charlie Trotter (Chef)
2012 Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart (Nobel Laureate Nanotechnologist)
2013 Robert Crawford (Chairman, Brook Furniture Rental)
2014 Calum MacLeod (Fourth Presbyterian Church & St Giles Cathedral)
2015 Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks) & Edward Luce (US Editor, Financial Times)
2016 Alan Cramb (President, Illinois Institute of Technology)
2017 Andy Scott (Sculptor)
2018 Alex Gourlay (Chief Operating Officer, Walgreens-Boots Alliance)
2019 Dan Casey (Founder, Sterling Engineering) & Bethany McLean (Author, Journalist and Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair)
2020 Peter Georgeson (Owner, Scot Forge)
2021 James L. Alexander (Attorney & Philanthropic Leader)
2022 Richard W. Colburn (President, The Negaunee Foundation)
2023 George Buik, Donald Buik & James Buik (The Roscoe Company)
2024 Sir Niall Ferguson (Historian, Economist and Critical Thinker)
Every year at our Scottish Festival & Highland Games, the Chicago Scots feature a family or an organization as our Honored Clan. This year, to recognize and celebrate its’ strong Scottish roots, our Honored Clan is Rotary International. We are proud to announce that Rotary International’s Scottish President, Gordon McInally has agreed to lead our Parade of Tartans at 12:30 p.m. Gordon will also receive the Salute to the Chieftain from the Massed Pipe Bands at approximately 6.30pm on Saturday, June 15, 2024.