William Steiger Memorial Award

The William Steiger Memorial Award honors individuals from the social/political sphere whose efforts have contributed to advancements in occupational safety and health. John L. Henshaw, CIH, MPH is this year's Steiger Award recipient for making such contributions.

Mr. Henshaw received his Master's degree in Environmental Health Administration and Industrial Health from the University of Michigan, School of Public Health in 1975. He has also served as a teaching affiliate at Johns Hopkins University and as a member of many national, local and international technical, professional and trade association boards in the fields of occupational health (industrial hygiene), safety and environment including the EPA National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Advisory Board, the University of Michigan School of Public Health Alumni Board of Governors, and the University of Michigan and St. Louis University Advisory Boards. In 1990, he served as President of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).

Mr. Henshaw is President of Henshaw and Associates, Inc., a safety and health professional services firm in Florida. On June 13, 2001, he was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 3, 2001 to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a position he held until January 1, 2005. As U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, he led the Agency's efforts to ensure worker safety and health in the United States by working with employers and employees to create better working environments. Prior to becoming the OSHA administrator, he served as Director of Environment, Safety and Health for Astaris LLC, a joint venture between Solutia and FMC Corp., and he held similar positions at Solutia Inc., and Monsanto Company in St Louis, Missouri.

Mr. Henshaw has presented nationally and internationally on environmental, safety, health and quality issues, and his work includes publication of numerous papers, articles and text chapters on occupational health and safety. He has received numerous awards within the safety and health profession including the AIHA "Kusnetz Award", the American Society of Safety Engineer "President's Award", The University of Michigan "Distinguished Alumnus Award" and the Academy of Industrial Hygiene "Henry F. Smith Award". In addition to his consulting business, Mr. Henshaw currently serves as an affiliate associate professor at the University of South Florida, a member of the Singapore Government's International Advisory Panel on Workplace Safety and Health and the Dean's Advisory Board of the University of Michigan, School of Public Health.

ACGIH^® is pleased to honor Mr. Henshaw as the recipient of this year's William Steiger Memorial Award. The Steiger Award will be presented at the Opening Session of AIHce on Monday, June 2, 2008 in the Minneapolis Convention Center Ballroom.

Previous Award Recipients

1979 — Congressman David R. Obey
1982 — George Taylor (AFL–CIO)
1983 — Edgar L. McGowan, Commissioner of Labor, South Carolina
1984 — Gershon W. Fishbein, Editor, Occupational Health and Safety Letter
1985 — Congressman Joseph M. Gaydos of Pennsylvania
1986 — William G. Philips
1987 — Sheldon Samuels, Director, Health, Safety and Environment, Industrial Union Department, AFL–CIO
1988 — Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia
1989 — Richard F. Boggs, Vice President of Organization Resources Counselors, Inc.
1990 — Joseph A. Kinney, Executive Director of The National Safe Workplace Institute
1991 — David P. Rall, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1971–1990) and Director of the National Toxicology Program (1978–1990)
1992 — Molly J. Coye, M.D., Director of the Department of Health Services of the State of California
1993 — J. Donald Millar, M.D., D.T.P.H. (Lond.), the Assistant Surgeon General and Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
1994 — Eula Bingham, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Health; past Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
1995 — Margaret Seminario, Director of Occupational Safety and Health for the AFL–CIO
1996 — James Merchant, M.D. of the University of Iowa, College of Medicine and Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa
1997 — J. Davitt McAteer, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Labor Department s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Andrea M. Hricko, Deputy Assistant Secretary for MSHA
1998 — Linda Rae Murray, M.D., MPH, Winfield Moody Health Center
1999 — Gerald F. Scannell, Director, National Safety Council; previously Director of the Office of Standards in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA
2000 — Phil Landrigan, MD, Mount Sinai Medical Center
2001 — James Melius, M.D., Dr.P.H.
2002 — Congressman George Miller (D-CA) and Congressman Major R. Owens (D-NY)
2003 — Brian Davies, CIH
2004 — John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM
2005 — Ernest Mastromatteo, C.D., M.D., D.P.H., D.I.H., F.A.B.P.M. (Occ Med), C.C.B.O.M., M.F.O.M. (London)
2006 — Charles E. Adkins, CIH
2007 — Earl Dotter, Photojournalist

2008 Awardee

Previous Award Recipients