Billy Mills receives Alumni Distinguished Service Award from KU education school

LAWRENCE -- Billy Mills, graduate of the University of Kansas and spokesperson of Running Strong for American Indian Youth, will receive the University of Kansas School of Education Alumni Distinguished Service Award. Angela Lumpkin, dean of the KU education school, will present the award during the school's convocation ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at the Lied Center of Kansas.

"I'm proud to have graduated from the University of Kansas," said Mills, an Olympic gold medalist who received a bachelor's degree in physical education from KU in 1962. "It is fundamentally important for educational institutions to continue to recognize the importance of giving back to the community and instilling this philosophy in its students."

The award is granted to people who have contributed exemplary service to the fields of education or human services.

Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Mills may be best known as the only American ever to have won the 10,000-meter race, winning at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, but he has gone on to make an integral difference in children's lives.

The KU education school also named a scholarship for Mills earlier this year. The Billy Mills Running Strong for Indian Youth Scholarship is available to American Indian students who are studying to become teachers.

"The School of Education is proud to recognize the achievements of one of its finest graduates," said Lumpkin. "Billy, like so many of our alumni, has committed his life to giving back to others and to helping young people achieve their dreams. We are proud of Billy and his many accomplishments and are pleased to honor him and his work with this award."

This is the fourth time the award has been presented, and Mills is the first American Indian recipient of the award.

Running Strong for American Indian Youth is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization with the mission of strengthening American Indian communities by creating opportunities for self-sufficiency and self-esteem.