Margarita Thompson Oliver '42 was presented the George B. Walter ’36 Service to Society Award.Peg Oliver founded the coalition of Literary Services, Inc. in Hidalgo County, Texas, and served as its director, lead teacher, and guiding spirit from 1984 until her retirement in 2005. A non-governmental program offering adult basic education, literacy, and public information, CLS is distinctive for its openness and its self-paced curriculum. For many years, Oliver single-handedly taught an estimated 1,000 people per year, often leading as many as ten classes a week. In retirement, she continues to speak out on educational issues, maintain contact with former students, and seek ways to turn "poor communities into educated communities."
Lawrence Today magazine, Fall 2007