The Key of Honor is the highest recognition award presented by Key Club International. These recipients made a lifelong positive impact on youth and are honored for long term support of the Key Club program.
1941
Rev. Francis M. Fox, M.D., West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
J. Newton Lummus, Miami, Florida, U.S.
Walter Pierce, Miami, Florida, U.S.
Frank S. Wright, Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
1942
G. Harold Martin, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Thomas W. McElvey, Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Fount Rion, Palatka, Florida, U.S.
Eugene Shaw, Coral Gables, Florida, U.S.
Frank C. Vincent, Sacramento, California, U.S.
1943
Roe Fulkerson, Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
Collins Hyers, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Glenn McKay, Sanford, Florida, U.S.
George Miller, West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
1944
James C. Casserly, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
1945
Lynn Bloom, Lakeland, Florida, U.S.
Carl Dolce, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Hamilton Holt, Macon, Georgia, U.S.
Odis Johnson, Thomasville, Georgia, U.S.
Steve Rizan, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
1946
Ray Chapman, Miami, Florida, U.S.
Max Derbes, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Bob Harrison, St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Don Magarian, Lakeland, Florida, U.S.
Bob Seymour, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Al Zimmerman, Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S.
1947
T. Hartley Hall IV, Macon, Georgia, U.S.
W.R. Scotty Lupton, Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
1948
Charles A. Swain, Cape May, New Jersey, U.S.
1949
J. Frank McCabe, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Thomas Starnes, Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
1950
Gordon T. Butler, Fernandina, Florida, U.S.
Robert W. Gruesser, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Stewart M. Muir, London, Ontario, Canada
1951
M. M. Foy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Jack Q. Stilwell, Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
1952
Ted M. Vestal, Sherman, Texas, U.S.
1953
Frederick A. Youngs Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
1954
Henry T. Huband, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Phillip C. Ritterbush, Laconia, New Hampshire, U.S.
Ronald L. Snow, Laconia, New Hampshire, U.S.
Richard Steyert, Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1955
Ralph Bird, Matoaka, West Virginia, U.S.
Melvin T. Munn, Dallas, Texas, U.S.
C.F. Sharp, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
William J. Stack, Coral Gables, Florida, U.S.
1956
Ira F. Bradford, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Jerry Brammer, Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S.
G. Robert Lawler, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1957
Charles J. Harris, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1958
Not presented
1959
Jess W. Matthews, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Robert W. Thal, Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
1960
James F. Conover, Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.
Edward C. Keefe, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Vincent A. Miranda, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
George K. Myers, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, U.S.
John H. White, Bay Minette, Alabama, U.S.
1961
Walter H. Howell QC, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Paul F. Keefer, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Charles H. Savage, Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
1962
Mrs. Frank C. Vincent, Hawaii, U.S.
S. Power “Pi” Warren, Golden, Colorado, U.S.
1963
Not presented
1964
Arthur L. Himmel, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy*
Eugene F. Lorton, San Francisco, California, U.S.
Frank Snyder, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
1965
James B. Glover, Butte, Montana, U.S.
Dudley Saleeby Sr., Dillon, South Carolina, U.S.
1966
Herman C. Bunte, Hutchinson, Kansas, U.S.
Stuart M. Henderson, Bedford, Ohio, U.S.
O.E. “Pete” Peterson, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1967
Michael M. D’Auria, Plainview, New York, U.S.
Howard W. Mumford, East Point, Georgia, U.S.
1968
Stanley T. Johnson, Cullman, Alabama, U.S.
Robert F. Lucas, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1969
Edmund C. McMullen, Tampa, Florida, U.S.
1970
Harland F. Brownfield, Silver Springs, Maryland, U.S.
1971
Grant Teeters, Downey, California, U.S.
1972
Gary R. McCord, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1973
C. Russell Norment, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Howard G. Smith, Rochelle, Illinois, U.S.
1974
John Thompson, Gainesville, Georgia, U.S.
1975
Raymond L. Blinn, Lomita, California, U.S.
1976
Keith H. Ashby, Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S.
Lawrence C. Catha, Amite, Louisiana, U.S.
1977
Father Charles E. McCallister, Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S.
John T. Roberts, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
1978
Clarence E. Brooker, Demopolis, Alabama, U.S.
U.S. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, Waverly, Minnesota, U.S.*
1979
James A. Smith II, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
1980
Phil Gugliuzza, Metairie, Louisiana, U.S.
1981
Robert Bottsford, Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.
Marvin J. Christiansen, Los Gatos, California, U.S.
1982
Rondal D. Hart, Morehead, Kentucky, U.S.
1983
Terry Eddy, Rolla, Missouri, U.S.
1984
Gerald F. McConnell, Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
William Douglas “Doc” Newton, Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S.
George L. Price Sr., Bay Minette, Alabama, U.S.
1985
James Climo, Longmeadow, Massachusetts, U.S.
David F. Vaughan, Darlington, South Carolina, U.S.
1986
Br. John Hotstream, Thibodaux, Louisiana, U.S.
1987
James A. Broome, Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
David Steger, Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.
1988
David W. Goerne, Streator, Illinois, U.S.
Richard Pucher, Lyndonville, New York, U.S.
1989
Ira R. Gladson, Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Tom P. Horan, Willmar, Minnesota, U.S.
1990
Robert Hall, Murphysboro, Illinois, U.S.
Richard Riggins, Plantation, Florida, U.S.
1991
Gene Y. Brock, Hereford, Texas, U.S.
1992
Anthony J. “Tony” Pelosse, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada*
1993
Richard L. Prada, Manteca, California, U.S.
1994
Not presented
1995
Vincent Forrest, Lake Placid, New York, U.S.
Rolland Kjar, St. Charles, Missouri, U.S.
1996
Dr. Andrew Batsis, Toms River, New Jersey, U.S.
Sam Welker, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
1997
Robert Bagans, Sewickley, Pennsylvania, U.S.
J. Scott Johnson, Greenville, North Carolina, U.S.
James “Pete” Tinsley, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
1998
William J. Bridgen, Williamston, North Carolina, U.S.
Clarence J. “Pop” Collisi, Brownsburg, Indiana, U.S.
1999
Dr. Eugene Harrell, Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S.
George Whitney, Hardwick, Vermont, U.S.
2000
Steve Phillips, Flintstone, Georgia, U.S.
LaRoy Barrow, Reynolds, Georgia, U.S.
2001
George L. Brown, Whitmore Lake, Michigan, U.S.
2002
Amron Buchanan, Kewanee, Illinois, U.S.
Ed Leland, Billings, Montana, U.S.
2003
Mary Bowen, Fridley, Minnesota, U.S.
2004
Gail Fitzsimmons Welker, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
2005
Robert E. Hottman, Harper, Kansas, U.S.
2006
Timothy F. Daly, Weymouth, Massachusetts, U.S.
2007
David A. Wohler, Carmel, Indiana, U.S.
2008
Debbie Wolinsky, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
2009
H. Gene McCaskill, Camden, South Carolina, U.S.
2010
Susan Poland, Peoria, Arizona, U.S.
2011
Not presented
2012
Robert Barron, Mount Airy, Georgia, U.S.
2013
Carolyn Hamilton, Gate City, Virgina, U.S.
Charlene Masuhara, Milo, Hawaii, U.S.
2014
Robert Palys, Hanceville, Alabama, U.S.
2015
Joseph Stankus, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
2016
Chuck Sack, Parsons, Kansas, U.S.
2017
Stephen L Gandley, Hackettstown, New Jersey, U.S.
Paul Sexton, Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
2018
Kathleen Vorpahl Gillis, Plymouth, Wisconsin, U.S.
Larry Hewett, Whiteville, North Carolina, U.S.
2019
Paul Palazzolo, Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
2020
Shelley Des Cotes, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
2021
Donna Parton, Hillsboro Beach, Florida, U.S.
Sophia Chase, St Michael, Barbados
2022
Not presented
2023
Dr. Mary Beth Townsend, Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Ron Petsch, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
*Presented posthumously