The Congressman Louis Stokes Service Award

- given in recognition for work done on behalf of the LS-SCAMP program and for tirelessly championing the program's interests especially among the legislature in the state of South Carolina.

Louis Stokes played a pivotal role in the quest for civil rights, equality and social and economic justice throughout his tenure in the United States Congress. On November 6, 1968, Mr. Stokes was elected to the United States Congress on his first attempt for public office and served 15 consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, ranking 11th overall in House seniority. Upon retiring, he became the first African American in the history of Congress to retire having completed 30 years in office.

During his tenure in Congress, Mr. Stokes was a true champion for federal education programs, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) support for science and engineering education.

Throughout his distinguished career, Congressman Stokes was committed to building partnerships and alliances aimed at increasing the participation of women and under represented minorities in all areas of science and engineering. Suitably, House and Senate conferees honored Congressman Stokes by renaming NSF's Alliance for Minority Participation Program the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LS-Amp) Program. In recognition of his work at the national level to foster opportunities for the minority SMET students the LS-SCAMP Program has established the Congressman Louis Stokes Service Award in his honor.

The Honorable Louis Stokes Biography