The American Civil Liberties Union Washington Board of Directors chose former UW professor Hubert Locke as the recipient of the 2008 William O. Douglas Award based on his lifetime devotion to protecting and maintaining human and civil rights.

Spokesperson Doug Honig said the ACLU is the nation’s oldest and largest group devoted to defending the freedoms guaranteed under the Bill of Rights.

“It’s been around since 1920 and is a leading national voice for freedom, justice and equality,” Honig said. “The ACLU has over a half of million members nationally and over 20,000 in Washington.”

The award is the ACLU’s highest honor.

“The William O. Douglas Award is given for outstanding, consistent and sustained contributions to civil liberties,” according to an ACLU press release. “Hubert Locke is being honored for decades of committed leadership, scholarship and public service in defense of civil rights and human rights.”

Locke has been a promoter for social justice throughout his life. He takes an avid interest in the nation’s criminal justice system and has worked to create policies to hold police officers more accountable for their actions.

In 1962, Locke became the first executive director of the Citizen’s Committee for Equal Opportunity in Detroit. Four years later he was appointed as an administrative assistant to the city’s police commissioner.

More recently, Locke has participated on citizen boards under Mayors Paul Schell and Greg Nickels to assess police in the Seattle area. He believes all police officers should be held to high moral standards.

Locke was appointed Dean Emeritus of the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the UW in 1982 and is the chair for the Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission. He has written many books discussing racial issues, public policies, criminal justice and religion. In addition, Locke often writes editorial pieces for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, analyzing both local and national political and economical issues.

Honig believes Locke deserved the Douglas Award for the variety of things he has done in his career.

“He has consistently been an important voice for civil liberties and rights.” Honig said. “He has been able to combine work in civil rights both in academia and the community at large.”

Locke was honored at the ACLU of Washington’s Bill of Rights Celebration Dinner at the Seattle Mariott waterfront hotel last Saturday. Honig said about 450 people attended the event.

“Hubert Locke exemplifies leadership in civil liberties and civil rights,” said ACLU-WA president Jesse Wing in the organization’s press release. “He is an inspiration to both students and activists.”

Reach reporter Katie McVicker at news@dailyuw.com.