Distinguished Eagle Scout Award

The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award was established in 1969 to acknowledge Eagle Scouts who have received extraordinary national-level recognition, fame, or eminence within their field, and have a strong record of voluntary service to their community. Only Eagle Scouts who earned the Eagle Scout rank a minimum of 25 years previously are eligible for nomination. The award is given by the National Eagle Scout Association upon the recommendation of a committee of Distinguished Eagle Scouts.

The award is granted by the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) upon recommendation by a local council and selection by a committee of nationally prominent DESA recipients.In total, since its inception in 1969, the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award has been presented nationally to fewer than 1 in 1,000 of those who have attained the rank of Eagle Scout. 

In the Great Rivers Council, BSA, we have presented 20 such awards. Those recipients are:

Robert N. Hunter (1972)

Louis W. Shelburne (1976)

Robert L.D. “Larry” Davidson (1982)

Samuel Moore Walton (1985)

Robert W. Maupin (1993)

Dr. Donald B. Ruthenberg (1994)

William E. Backer (1995)

The Honorable Stephen Limbaugh (1996)

David B. Keller (1998)

Clyde G. Lear (1999)

Charles Kruse (2003)

George Taylor (2004)

Richard Mendenhall (2005)

Dr. Hugh Jerry Murrell (2008)

Dr. Edward Blaine (2008)

Lt. Governor Peter Kinder (2009)

Dr. Robert Doroghazi (2010)

Governor Jay Nixon (2011)

Gary Forsee (2014)

Don Walsworth (2014)