(Rockville, MD - July 6, 2007) The late Charles Clayton Diggs, Jr., a long-time employee of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), has been honored by the National Stuttering Association (NSA).
A special award honoring Diggs was presented to Jim Potter, ASHA's Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, at NSA's annual conference last month in Atlanta.
"Charlie was an advocate, collaborator and friend of those affected by stuttering," the award reads. "He understood the value of a positive working relationship between professionals and consumer based organizations. He worked tirelessly to advance this concept to the benefit of all."
At the time of his death in July 2006, Diggs directed state and consumer advocacy for ASHA, where he worked for 26 years. He was also an ASHA Fellow.
"We thank NSA for recognizing Charlie, because he is most deserving of such honors," ASHA Executive Director Arlene Pietranton says. "Charlie will forever be missed for the wonderful person he was, as well as for his dedication and the rich professional legacy he left behind."
Raised in Towson, Maryland, Diggs stuttered as a child, which influenced his career. He graduated from Baltimore's Loyola College and received his MS and PhD in speech-language pathology from Purdue University in Indiana. For seven years, he taught in the speech-language pathology and audiology departments at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and the University of Maryland, College Park, and practiced as a speech-language pathologist.
Diggs joined ASHA in 1980 where he worked in several capacities including director of the speech-language pathology branch; deputy executive director of ASHA's consumer affiliate, the National Association for Hearing and Speech Action; and, as supervisor of Legislative Council Operations.
Diggs was survived by his daughter Kathryn Diggs of Baltimore and sons Christopher and Cameron Diggs of Columbia, Maryland; his father, Charles C. Diggs, Sr.; and his twin sister, Elaine M. Diggs.
ASHA, located in Rockville, Maryland, is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 127,000 speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists in the United States and internationally. For more information on speech, language, and hearing disorders, consumers can log on to www.asha.org or call 1-800-638-TALK.
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