The Thomas D. Gettler ’76 Creative Writing Award

Cincinnati Country Day School is thrilled to announce the creation of The Thomas D. Gettler ’76 Creative Writing Award, made possible by the generosity of Tom’s parents, Benjamin and Dee Gettler.

The Thomas D. Gettler Creative Writing Award is Cincinnati Country Day School's most comprehensive writing award. It is named in honor of Thomas D. Gettler, class of 1976, who found a passion for writing during his Country Day years by contributing poems and short stories to the school's literary magazine and through the production of his original plays, "In the Lap of the Gods" and "The Brilliant Lawyer."

The award is to be granted annually to the student whose creative writing portfolio is judged by members of the CCDS English department as representative of the highest level of achievement in writing. The spirit of this award is to encourage young writers, in their commitment to the writer's craft, to develop the depth of insight and breadth of skill that yields art.

The chosen writer receives $400 as well as the opportunity to decide how an additional $100 should be used to serve best the writing program at Cincinnati Country Day School. Shortly after the award is granted each June, the winning portfolio will be posted on the CCDS Web site.

Student writer Bailey Kielarowski ‘09 says, “The Thomas Gettler award is a great opportunity for CCDS to encourage our writers. The monetary component is, of course, fantastic, but the spirit of the award is particularly wonderful. It will really help writing grow here.” Deborah Floyd, co-advisor of InWords (the school’s literary magazine) adds, “Writing is so often one of the quiet arts—it doesn’t hang on gallery walls or get performed at choral assemblies. This award helps celebrate the solitary singer who loves and lives the literary life. Likewise, the Gettlers’ generosity models the type of ‘giving back’ that is part of Country Day’s character values, so it’s exciting to have it linked to the arts.”

Our sincerest appreciation goes out to the Gettlers for their vision and to Tom for inspiring it!

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