[Scla-list] FW: [alacro-l] Judith Krug passing

[Gilson, Thomas V]

The First amendment has lost a powerful advocate.  I thought that a
number of you who heard Judith speak at our conference a few years ago
would particularly want to know about her passing.

Thanks,

Tom Gilson

 

From: Don Wood [mailto:dwood at ala.org] 
Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 11:00 AM
To: alacro-l at ala.org
Subject: [alacro-l] Judith Krug passing

 

From: Keith Michael Fiels 
Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 9:08 AM
Subject: Judith Krug passing

 

Judith Fingeret Krug, 69 passed away April 11, 2009 at Evanston
Hospital.  Advisor, author and public servant, she was a remarkable
leader in the struggle to educate the public concerning the right to the
free expression of ideas.  Judy was an inspiration to all who knew her.

She was the Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation and
Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library
Association for over forty years.    She worked tirelessly to guarantee
the rights of individuals to express ideas and read the ideas of others
without governmental interference.  Through her unwavering support of
writers, teachers, librarians, and above all, students, she has advised
countless numbers of librarians and trustees in dealing with challenges
to library material.  She has been involved in multiple First Amendment
cases that have gone all the way to the United States Supreme Court.  In
addition, she was the founder of Banned Books Week, an annual week-long
event that celebrates the freedom to choose and the freedom to express
one's opinion.  

During a time in our nation's history when an individual's rights to
access information are constantly under attack, she worked to ensure the
public's right to know through traditional means, as well as through the
Internet.  Her legacy is a lifetime of passionate commitment, advocacy,
and affirmative actions to protect the Constitutional rights of citizens
granted under the First Amendment.

Recipient of countless awards and offices including: the Joseph P.
Lippincott Award, the Irita Van Doren Award, the Harry Kalven Freedom of
Expression Award, and most recently the William J. Brennen, Jr. award,
from the Thomas Jefferson Center for Free Expression.  In July, she will
be honored by the Freedom to Read Foundation for her years of vision and
leadership.  In addition, she served as a senator and Vice President of
the Phi Beta Kappa society.

Born in Pittsburgh, Judith graduated from the University of Pittsburgh
and received a Masters degree from the University of Chicago and a PhD
from the University of Illinois.

She is survived by her husband Herbert and her loving children Steven
(Denise) of Northbrook, and Michelle (David) Litchman of Glencoe and
five adoring grandchildren: Jessica, Sydney, Hannah, Rachel and Jason.
Additionally, she is survived by her brothers, Jay (Ilene) Fingeret and
Dr. Arnold (Denise) Fingeret of Pittsburgh PA, and her sister and
brother-in-law, Shirley and Dr. Howard Katzman of Miami, FL. She was
preceded in death by her sister Susan (Steve) Pavsner of Bethesda MD.

Services will be held at Beth Emet Synagogue, 1224 Dempster St.,
Evanston IL, Tuesday April 14th at 10:00a.m. followed by internment at
Shalom Memorial Park.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be
made to The Freedom to Read Foundation, 50 East Huron, Chicago Illinois
60611, or http://www.ftrf.org/ .

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