Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (2024)

Awards & Recognition

Awards

From our volunteers to the best players in the game’s history, we celebrate our outstanding members.

  • Hall of Fame
  • Annual Member Awards
  • Special Awards
  • Achievement Through Play
  • Employee Awards

ACBL Hall of Fame

Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (1)The Hall of Fame was started by the Bridge World magazine in 1964 with founding members Ely Culbertson, Charles Goren, Harold Vanderbilt, Oswald Jacoby, Milton Work, Sidney Lenz, Waldemar von Zedtwitz, Howard Schenken and Sidney Silodor. When the magazine discontinued its work on the hall, no members were added until the ACBL reestablished the program in 1995. Additional members have been added each year since then.

The Hall of Fame has three categories of awards: Open, Blackwood Award and von Zedtwitz Award.

Open Award

The ACBL Hall of Fame Open Award shall be given annually to living individuals who have achieved prominence in the game of bridge and have an outstanding tournament record. They shall be elected by electors, as described in Section 5 of the Hall of Fame Operating Procedures.

Recipients

Blackwood Award

Given to individuals who have contributed greatly to the game of bridge without necessarily being world class players. Each year, one recipient is selected by the Hall of Fame Committee. However, if the Committee believes an additional award is warranted, the Board may vote to allow an additional award for that year.

Recipients

von Zedtwitz Award

The ACBL Hall of Fame von Zedtwitz Award shall be given to living or deceased individual(s) who have achieved prominence in the game of bridge and have an outstanding tournament record but who may not have been in the limelight for a significant period of time. Each year, as many as two recipients may be selected by the Hall of Fame Committee whenever deemed appropriate.

Recipients

Hall of Fame Member Profiles

  • Members by Year of Induction

Use the buttons below to view members by last name.

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Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (5)

Annual Member Awards

Honorary Members

The Honorary Member Committee is charged with the annual selection of the ACBL member, or pair of members, widely known throughout the membership who has given freely of his time and ability, without thought of reward and in the interest and welfare of the League as a whole.

American Bridge League 1927-1936

ACBL 1937-Present

Nadine Wood Volunteer of the Year

Established by District 7’s Bruce Reeve, who served as ACBL President in 2004. His proposal for a national award for volunteerism was accepted by the ACBL Board of Directors. The first recipients were from his district: Marlene Wass and Judy Nolan, co-chairs of the record-setting Gatlinburg Regional.

The award was named in 2012 for the late Nadine Wood, who represented District 6 on the ACBL Board of Directors and was known for her tireless volunteer work.

Nomination Form

Index by Year of Award

Aileen Osofsky Goodwill Member of the Year

The ACBL Goodwill Committee was organized in 1955 with John E. Simon as chair and Louise Durham as co-chair. Aileen Osofsky became chair in 1985 and has expanded the committee’s endeavors, taking on the promotion of active ethics, awareness of those with disabilities such as hearing loss, support for junior programs and naming of a goodwill member of the year.

Sound like someone you know? Nominate them for the award!

Nomination Form

Goodwill Members of the Year

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Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (10)

Special Awards

Sidney H. Lazard Jr. Sportsmanship Award

Established by Sidney Lazard in honor of his son, Sidney Jr., who died in 1999 at the age of 41 after a year-long battle with cancer. The Sportsmanship Award is administered by the Foundation for the Preservation and Advancement of Bridge. This award is given annually to a top-level player, one who has scored a high-level finish in a major national contest. According to Lazard, the object of the award is to “enhance sportsmanship among top players and to salute those who try to win with class and dignity.”

Recipients

  • 2001 Paul Soloway
  • 2002 Rose Meltzer
  • 2003 Larry Cohen
  • 2004 Lynn Deas
  • 2005 Nick Nickell
  • 2006 Ralph Cohen
  • 2007 Seymon Deutsch
  • 2008 Giorgio Duboin
  • 2009 Peter Boyd
  • 2010 Roy Welland
  • 2011 Betty Ann Kennedy
  • 2012 Mike Kamil
  • 2013 Benedicte Cronier and Sylvie Willard
  • 2014 Bob Hamman
  • 2015 Howard Weinstein
  • 2016 Boye Brogeland
  • 2017 Eddie Kantar
  • 2018 Lew Stansby
  • 2019 Forfeit
  • 2020 Dennis Bilde
  • 2021
  • 2022 Team Scotland: Anne Perkins (NPC), Derrick Peden, Stephen Peterkin, Jim Hay, Alex Adamson, Samantha Punch, Derek Sanders
  • 2023 Fred Stewart

*Not formally presented in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic

King/Queen of Bridge

The King or Queen of Bridge Scholarship is a merit program available to a graduating high school senior that is an ACBL member who plays and promotes bridge. The ACBL Educational Foundation will present a scholarship up to $2000 to the King or Queen of Bridge. Recent winners have been cited for outstanding tournament performances plus administrative, recreational and promotional activities related to bridge.

Previous Winners

King/Queen of Bridge Previous Winners

  • 2022 – Arthur Zhou
  • 2021- Tammy León Molina
  • 2020 – Bo Han Zhu
  • 2019 – Louis Beauchet
  • 2018 – Reese Koppel
  • 2017 – Richard Jeng
  • 2016 – Burke Snowden
  • 2015 – Amber Lin
  • 2014 – Adam Kaplan/Allison Hunt
  • 2013 – John Altman
  • 2012 – Murphy Green
  • 2011 – Blake Sanders
  • 2010 – Thomas Walsh/Adam Grossack
  • 2009 – Nicholas Flores
  • 2008 – Jeremy Koegel
  • 2007 – Andrew Dubay
  • 2006 – Sam Katz
  • 2005 – David Banh
  • 2004 – Robert Glickman
  • 2003 – Scott Waldron Jr
  • 2002 – John Kranyak
  • 2001 – Erin Anderson
  • 2000 – Gavin Wolpert
  • 1999 – Ari Greenberg
  • 1998 – Josh Heller
  • 1997 – Joel Wooldridge
  • 1996 – Kent Mignocchi
  • 1995 – Tony Melucci
  • 1994 – Sam Hirschman
  • 1993 – Eric Greco
  • 1992 – Frederic Pollack
  • 1991 – Andrew Moss
  • 1990 – Eric Sutherland
  • 1989 – Brad Moss
  • 1988 – Holly Zullo
  • 1987 – Rich Pavlicek Jr.
  • 1986 – Martha Benson Katz
  • 1985 – Adair Gellman
  • 1984 – Jim Munday
  • 1983 – Billy Hsieh
  • 1982 – Steve Weinstein
  • 1981 – Doug Levene/ Steve Cochran
  • 1980 – Tony Marks
  • 1979 – Regina Barnes
  • 1978 – Matt Franklin
  • 1977 – Marc Franklin
  • 1976 – Warren Spector
  • 1975 – Bobby Levin
  • 1974 – Jeff Meckstroth
  • 1973 – J Merrill

Apply to be the next King/Queen of Bridge

Apply to be the next King/Queen of Bridge

Download the application, complete it and submit it by attaching it to an email addressed to kristen@Acbleducationalfoundation.org.

Download/Print Application

If you choose to print the form, mail it to:

ACBL Educational Foundation
P.O. Box 154
Glenmont, NY 12077
United States

Applications must be submitted by May 31, 2021. Please email education@acbl.org with any questions you may have. Winner will be announced at the Summer NABC.

ACBL Distinguished Member

A special award set up by the ACBL Board of Directors. No time schedule for awarding the honor is established, nor are there specific criteria set out for selecting the recipient. Only two members have been so honored – Lou Bluhm, singled out for his personal attributes and contributions to bridge, particularly in the area of ethics and courtesy, and former ACBL President James Zimmerman for his contributions to the game in many areas.

ACBL Distinguished Employee

The Distinguished Employee award was established to recognize contributions that are made by an employee that dramatically change the nature of the Game or the way the League functions. This award has only been given once. It was awarded to Jim Lopushinsky for the creation of ACBLscore.

The award was later named after Jeff Johnston, ACBL’s beloved COO, following his death in 2014.

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Achievement Through Bridge Play

Player of the Year

An annual award (since 1990) for the ACBL player who earns the most platinum points in North American Championship events with no upper masterpoint limit (NABC+). The Soloway Trophy (formerly the Goren Trophy 1990-2007) honors the Player of the Year.

Winners

Barry Crane Top 500

The ACBL member who has accumulated the most masterpoints during the calendar year wins the Barry Crane Top 500 race. Originally the McKenney Trophy, it was put into play by William E. McKenney, ACBL executive secretary. It was known as the McKenney Trophy contest from 1937-1981. When the list was expanded to include the leading 500 players it was called the Top 500 from 1982-1985. It became the Barry Crane Top 500 in 1986. Crane, who was murdered in July 1985, was ACBL’s top masterpoint holder and was acknowledge by his peers to be unequalled as a masterpoint winner and a matchpoint player. His influence on the race was dominant for more than three decades.

Winners

Mini-McKenney

In 1974, the ACBL Board of Directors voted to recognize the masterpoint achievements of all players and the Mini-McKenney races were established. The winners at each level of achievement are recognized by the ACBL each year in the April issue of the Bridge Bulletin and at the district and unit levels. Eligibility is determined by each player’s masterpoint holding at the beginning of the calendar year. The home unit of each winner may purchase a Mini-McKenney medallion to present to the player. Standings are updated monthly.

Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (13) Winners

Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs

Most ACBL members play in local club games. To recognize achievement at the club level, the Ace of Clubs competition was created in 1984. These club champions are recognized at the unit level and ACBL-wide. All points won at the club level are counted in this contest with the exception of those won in STaCs. This award was renamed in 2011 in honor of Grand Life Master Helen Shanbrom of Tamarac FL. Shanbrom was one of the most active players in the ACBL for decades and won the top category of the Ace of Clubs more times than any other member in ACBL history.

Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (14) Winners

Ace of Virtual Clubs

Begining in January of 2023, all sanctioned games held at ACBL Virtual Clubs (VACB), are to be counted in the Ace of Virtual Clubs Masterpoint Races at Unit, District and ACBL-wide levels, and are not to be counted in the Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs.

Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (15) Leaders

Online Player of the Year

An award recognizing the player who accumulates the most unpigmented masterpoints (won during online play) within a calendar year.

Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (16) Winners

Senior Player of the Year

The player, 60 years of age or older as of January 1, 2020, who wins the most masterpoints each year in senior tournaments and senior events at all tournaments is the Senior Player of the Year. The George Burns Trophy honors this player.

Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (17) Winners

Junior Player of the Year

Each calendar year, the Junior player (ages 20 up to 26) earning the most masterpoints during the year is declared the Junior Player of the Year.

Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (18) Winners

Youth Player of the Year

Each calendar year the Youth player (under the age of 20) earning the most masterpoints during the year is declared the Youth Player of the Year.

Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (19) Winners

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Employee Awards

Employee of the Year

The ACBL Employee of the Year award recognizes professionalism, service to internal and external customers, a deep commitment to performing quality work and teamwork.

Employee of the Year Award Winners

Jean Molnar Award

This award recognizes an ACBL field employee for outstanding customer service. It is named in honor of Jean Molnar, a beloved 20-year veteran Tournament Director who consistently delivered outstanding customer service through her technical expertise, her quick and effective response and her ability to handle all situations professionally and calmly.

Jean Molnar Award Winners

Awards & Recognition • American Contract Bridge League (2024)
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