UC Co-op Book Recognized at National Press Club

The book that tells the story of cooperative education at the University of Cincinnati just received honors at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8. It was named the nation's best  external publication published by a non-profit in 2006. That recognition came from PR News, a public relations and marketing industry association that conducts research and analysis and highlights the best strategies and accomplishments in the field.

The Ivory Tower and the Smokestack: 100 Years of Cooperative Education at the University of Cincinnati was published early in 2006 as part of a year’s worth of celebratory events to mark the birth of co-op right here at UC in 1906. Those events included a birthday bash on campus that included almost all of the nation’s 500 co-op colleges and universities as well as representation by co-op schools abroad.

The Ivory Tower and the Smokestack tells of co-op’s global founding here in 1906 when 27 engineering students piloted an uncertain experiment alternating time spent at school with professional work experience. Now, 100 years and 43 countries later, co-op students worldwide have followed UC’s lead.

The coffee-table book is no listing of such dry facts however. Rich in images, it essentially tells the story of everyday people challenged when they were young and inexperienced to take on big jobs involving real trust and real responsibility from employers betting real money. Tales include 

• The world’s first women “co-eps” who didn’t skirt the tough challenges of co-op, even when it meant hauling lumber or learning to become handy with crowbars.

• How UC co-ops bailed out the City of Cincinnati during the Great Flood of 1937.

• Co-op’s band of brothers and sisters served everywhere from Iceland to Egypt during World War II.

• How basketball great Oscar Robertson nearly lost his eligibility to play the game due to co-op.

• Co-op students’ adventures and accomplishments abroad thanks to international co-op.

In Washington, the book was named the nation’s best external publication by a non-profit institution in award ceremonies sponsored by

PR News

. Said Amy Jeffries, senior marketing manager,

PR News

, “You should be quite proud of this honor as this year’s awards competition generated the most impressive entries we’ve ever had in this program.”

The Ivory Tower and the Smokestack was also part of honors just awarded to UC in Chicago for the university’s celebration of cooperative education’s centennial. UC’s  events, promotions and materials connected to its co-op centennial celebration received a gold (the region’s best) in Best Practices in Communications and Marketing from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s V District.

The UC bookstore currently carries The Ivory Tower and the Smokestack for online purchase.