Santa Clara University

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Jan. 24, 2005 – The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Santa Clara Valley has named SCU president Paul Locatelli, S.J. the 2005 recipient of the Jim McEntee Distinguished Service Award.

The award was presented at the Good Neighbor Awards, held on Jan. 17 in San Jose.

 Locatelli is the first recipient of the award.

“Fr. Locatelli was chosen for this honor because he is a life-long advocate for civil and human rights, and the common good in Silicon Valley and beyond,” said Dr. Geraldine Forte, president of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association. “He recently advocated for the living wage for custodial workers and all low-wage employees in the Valley.”

 “Fr. Locatelli is a long-time admirer of Dr. King and the values for which he stood,” she added.

The award was created to honor Jim MecEntee, a social justice crusader and life-long advocate for human rights who passed away in Sept. 2004. The award will be bestowed annually on a Santa Clara county resident who exemplifies and practices Dr. King’s message of understanding, peace, love, and social justice.

About Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its 8,213 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees. Distinguished nationally by the second-highest graduation rate among all U.S. master’s universities, California’s oldest higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. More information is online at www.scu.edu.