The Brooks/Seymour Award
for Humane Service & Leadership

The following outline presents the criteria for a biennial award to be made by 603 WW, Inc., to an alumnus of 603 WW in recognition of service to the human community and leadership in pursuit of fairness, justice and respect across humanity.

 
 

Attributes of the award

  • Service, especially to the 603 community and to humanity.

  • Leadership, by leading through effective example.

  • Humanity, striving to reinforce & support the importance of searching for excellence in human endeavor; in seeking fairness and justice; and in demonstrating respect for mankind.

Location & Audience

  • Ideally, the award event is to include all who have interest in and participate in the 603 community, including undergraduates as they move toward becoming alumni.

 

Nomination Process

  • All nominations are to be submitted in writing to the 603 WW Board for consideration:

    • The written nomination should cover the Nominee’s efforts and success in fulfilling the award attributes.

    • The Nomination information is to be included on the website.

  • Candidates should expect to be vetted by 603 WW, including due diligence to determine potential negative issues.

  • 603 WW can announce that Nominations are open on the website, or by email, or other internet/electronic distribution methods to 603 Alumni using, with a deadline for submittal of nominations for that biennial period.

  • Nominations will be reviewed by the 603 WW Board with subsequent recommendations.

 

Frequency

  • The Award is proposed as a biennial award presented during the Monon Bell weekend, when the Bell game is played at Wabash.

The Award

  • The 603 WW Award would be similar to the IAWM Man of the Year Awards, with the following noted:

    • Winner’s name;

    • educational, charitable, and community accomplishments;

    • a narrative explaining the basis of the Award (examples provided);

  • 603 WW should also provide a copy of each award to the archives for posterity.

 

Once approved by the Board, this outline should be added to the website and/or other electronic and/or social media in order to make the Nomination criteria and attributes generally and publicly accessible.

 

Recipients of the Brooks/Seymour Award

 

603WW, Inc., on this date of October 30, 2020, hereby confers the Inaugural Austin Brooks/Thaddeus Seymour Award to

Charles Joseph Candiano

Wabash College, 1974-1976
Valparaiso University, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, 1992
John Marshall Law School, Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1995

Illinois Bar Association, 1995
Indiana Bar Association, 1996
Founded The Candiano Law Office, 2013

 

Charles J. Candiano:  The adhesive that binds Wabash Alumni is the shared experience of honest self-exploration, where each individual seeks to discover the nobility within themselves, and then share that discovery with their peers across generations.  At Wabash, you earnestly searched for the best in yourself, including service to others, and our collective journey has bound us to you.  You pursued your education elsewhere, and in so doing, found the philosopher inside you, but we were never truly separated. 

Noble actions have two purposes.  First, in nobly serving the need at hand,  and second, in reminding us that nobility can thrive inside of us, if it is nurtured.  When the 603 cook took ill, you literally served us, preparing meals with a commitment to great food, while exploring your culinary talents, with scotch and cigar close at hand.  We were grateful beneficiaries.

In the wake of the 2008 tragedy, the inhabitants of Center Hall demonstrated that the noble principles of critical thought, responsible action, effective leadership, and humane living could be rendered into intellectual flatulence in the time it takes to walk from Center Hall to 603. 

More sadly, vacuous decisions made in the wake of that tragedy left good Men, and their families, in peril.  But when human rights and interests were threatened, you nobly stepped forward to represent and protect dozens of those Men, pro bono.  In the months that followed, your position was simple -- 'If my client is guilty, prove it ... but don't expect us to help you.'  When the institutions that were assigned to protect Men's rights, abandoned those responsibilities, you nobly restored the standard for living humanely.  While our culture has been glib in assigning the label of "hero," your actions in that critical time will forever meet the truest definition of the term.

Today, we note that your preferred scotch is older than we were when we met you at Wabash.  And now, your generosity also enables the employees of your club, whose livelihoods are threatened by COVID, to know the nobility of your spirit.  But we have known your nobility for decades.

The health of mankind is always fragile in the hands of mortals.  Yet, we find in you the humane attributes that we hope to find in ourselves, and in that sense, we pray that this humble Award will serve as an affirmation of your noble character, while also inspiring others to proceed through life as you have, consistently selecting the alternative that affirms the nobility of the human spirit, over all of the other alternatives.