Since the society incorporated as a 501c3, Marshall Boswell, an English professor at Rhodes College, has been writing out checks (10-15 per month) and following up with phone calls to square things when a check wasn’t received or when there was some other problem. Each year he also collects information and prepares the checkbook to give to the society’s accountant at tax time. Because people are always in need of being reimbursed and bills always needing to be paid on time, he even takes the checkbook with him when he goes on vacation.

It’s a time-consuming job that Marshall has done faithfully without complaint for more than two decades, and for that the society board voted to present him with The John Updike Society Distinguished Service Award, an honor reserved for those who have assisted the society in important ways and donated a great deal of themselves, their time, their expertise, and in some cases, their financial support.

The award was to have been presented at the Roth-Updike Conference in New York City last October, but a family emergency kept Marshall from attending. Hence, it was presented to him on May 21, 2026 at the society’s annual business meeting, held at The Palmer House in Chicago during the 37th Annual American Literature Association Conference. Well done, Prof. Boswell!

Pictured in the background is society vice-president James Schiff, who presented the award.