EUGENE, Ore. -- (Oct. 13, 2010 ) -- Cartoonist Jan Eliot, communications entrepreneur Don Tykeson, and a non-profit charity director Terry McDonald have been selected as the University of Oregon's 2010 Distinguished Service Award recipients. They will be honored at a reception today on campus.

The Distinguished Service Award is presented to individuals who by their knowledge and skills have made a significant contribution to the cultural development of Oregon or society.

"Our faculty selected a perfect combination of talent, dedication, generosity, kindness, good humor and an unfailing commitment to our community," said University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere. "It is truly a pleasure to honor Jan, Terry and Don."

Eliot is the creator, writer and artist of the internationally syndicated cartoon, "Stone Soup."Appearing in more than 200 U.S. newspapers as well as in six other countries, "Stone Soup" draws from Eliot's own experience as a single mother raising two daughters. Collections of her cartoon strip have been published in several compilations, including the most recent "This Might Not Be Pretty." She is a 1977 graduate of the UO's Robert D. Clark Honors College.

Tykeson parlayed a minority interest in Eugene-based Liberty Communications in 1963, to management of the company as it became one of the largest cable television systems in the United States until it was sold to TCI in 1983. Tykeson has since been involved in management and ownership of television, pager and cable companies in Oregon and the West Coast. He also directs the Tykeson Family Charitable Trust, which funds health care and medical research, education and art initiatives. Tykeson graduated from the UO in 1951.

McDonald, the executive director of the St. Vincent De Paul Society of Lane County, oversees programs that assist more than 84,000 people each year. This assistance includes 1,000 units of housing, the creation of 350 jobs, job training for as many as 800 people each year, and a wide variety of recycling businesses that support the organization's social actions. McDonald, a 1971 UO graduate, succeeded his father as only the second director of the organization since its beginnings in 1953. He has overseen growth from a few local thrift stores to a multi-million dollar social and environmental agency.

The Distinguished Service Awards, determined by the UO faculty and followed by a vote in the University Senate, are presented annually to up to three recipients.

MEDIA CONTACT: Julie Brown, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu

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