Ruby Mendenhall received the A. Wade Smith Award for Teaching, Mentorship, and Service from the Association of Black Sociologists. This award was established in 1998. Named in honor of A. Wade Smith, Ph.D., the award recognizes an ABS member for outstanding teaching, mentoring, and service. The A. Wade Smith Award was initiated to honor our beloved colleague and outstanding contributor to the sociology profession and to Black social thought, A. Wade Smith.  The award recognizes the special and often unrecognized excellent performance in teaching and mentorship.  It particularly targets members who have been dedicated and innovative teachers and those who have nurtured future scholars in the field.  The award further acknowledges the crucial role played by many outstanding teachers in bringing young African-American scholars into the trying and difficult world of academic achievement.  Often lacking unavailable appropriate mentors and guides for their scholarship en route to undergraduate, graduate, and, particularly, Ph.D. degrees, unique dedicated individuals provide unusual support where there are few real rewards.  This award recognizes this important, and invaluable, role and those who perform it well and with pride.