HISTORY
Colonel Tom Lawson
Colonel Tom Lawson, benefactor of the Lawson Literary Awards program, wanted to generate a feeling of national pride in senior public school students by encouraging them to learn and write about the accomplishments of significant Canadians. He did so by sponsoring a writing contest for London and area students in the name of his father, the Honourable Ray Lawson, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1946 - 1952. The Lawson Literary Awards were established in 1978 and continue to recognize the literary achievements of grade 7 and 8 students.
Colonel Lawson, a native of London, attended Ryerson Public School, London Central Collegiate Institute, Upper Canada College and the University of Western Ontario. He served in World War II in Holland and Germany as a Company Commander. Following the war, he joined the family business, Lawson and Jones Limited, and eventually retired as company President in 1980.
Colonel Lawson headed the Lawson Foundation, an organization which has been very generous in preserving the heritage of London, Ontario. The Museum of Indian Archaeology, the D.B. Weldon Library, the University of Western Ontario, the London Aquatic Centre, Lawson Park, the Royal Canadian Big Band Festival, the Guy Lombardo Museum, the Lawson Museum and the Lawson Literary Awards all have benefited from grants by the Lawson Foundation.
Colonel Lawson died on January 18, 1991. The efforts that students continue to put forth to expand their knowledge and awareness of Canadian and world issues, through their participation in the literary program, are a fitting memory to the energies and commitment of the Honourable Ray Lawson and his son, Colonel Tom Lawson.
The Lawson Literary Awards program is designed to encourage grades 7 and 8 students to share their personal perspectives on Canadian issues of interest and importance to them. Each year, a panel of judges adjudicate submissions and a Lawson Literary award is presented to several recipients.