The French Creek Council of Boy Scouts of America will present "Distinguished Citizen" awards to Dr. John H. Moore, president of Grove City College since 1996, and John M. Hudson, president and principal shareholder of Hudson Group Inc., Hermitage.

The awards are being presented Sept. 10 at the annual award dinner at Tiffany's Banquet Center, Brookfield.

The "Distinguished Citizen Award" is presented annually to Mercer County and Brookfield residents whose leadership in business, industry, government, education, social work or community endeavors has contributed to the growth and vitality of the area.

"I feel honored," Hudson said, regarding the award.

As well as running the Hermitage contracting company, Hudson is managing partner of five partnerships and has 24 years of diversified experience in construction, construction management, real estate development, property management and real estate acquisition and disposition.

In 1978, he founded the first Hudson contracting company and quickly took the company from its modest beginnings as a small residential contractor to an established general contractor with a successful track record in commercial, industrial and institutional construction throughout Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. In the mid 1980s -- with the contracting company on secure ground -- he formed a new entity to specialize in real estate development with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as its first client. Under his leadership, Hudson Investment Properties' holdings spread statewide and within five years the company emerged as the commonwealth's lead developer with a list that includes the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Revenue, Department of Labor and Industry, Department of Public Welfare and the Pennsylvania State Police.

In 1991, Hudson made government-based development a high priority and co-founded the Kerrwood Investment Group, a developer of condominium offices in Western Pennsylvania. After completing a highly specialized cancer care facility, he brought together the construction company's expertise in medical construction with Kerrwood Investment's business model. Kerrwood now takes the lead in providing innovative solutions to medical professionals seeking specialized construction with flexible office, clinic and lab space designed not only for their industry, but also for their specialty. In 1997, Hudson undertook management of the newly formed Hudson Group, Inc. a general contracting company. This is his second construction company to be built from the ground up. It has grown to include 50 full-time employees and earns annual revenues of more than $20 million. The Hudson Group specializes in construction for schools and universities and most recently completed the Carlson Library renovation at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Hudson is past president of both F.H. Buhl Club, Sharon, and Prince of Peace Center, Farrell, and he is still a current member of both. He is also a trustee at Thiel College, Greenville, an advisory board member of Penn State University, Shenango Campus, board member of Catholic Charities Adoption Agency of Mercer County and Catholic Charities Diocese of Erie, along with numerous other awards and recognitions.

Hudson said he is particularly proud of his community service. He co-founded the Hudson Charitable Trust Fund, which initiated and sponsored the first international adoption through an American family, resulting in nine subsequent adoptions by the Trust Fund since 1999.

"I am really proud of the adoptions and how we are able to help people and children," he said.

Hudson said the Trust Fund is currently helping a local family adopt two special needs children from the Pittsburgh area, a switch from adoptions from India, Russia and Poland,

"The biggest burden is taking these children and raising them on a day to day basis. We can help them on the upfront costs, which run from $30,000 on up. I'm really proud that we help with that," Hudson said.

What he's most proud of is his wife, Mariangela, five children, Tyler, Hallie, Jonathan, Alex and Maxx, and his baby which is due in a couple weeks.

Moore, president of Grove City College, is also recipient of the distinguished citizens award. Moore assumed the presidency of Grove City College in June 1996. From 1990 until 1996 he was an administrator and faculty member at George Mason University. He was director of the University's International Institute from 1990-95. He also served as distinguished service professor and director of institutional relations for the Center for the Study of Public Choice.

In June 1985, former President Ronald Reagan appointed Moore as deputy director of the National Science Foundation, a position Moore held until joining George Mason University in 1990. He was associate director and senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University before moving to the National Science Foundation. He also served on the faculties and staffs of the University of Virginia, Miami University and Emory University.

Moore earned an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. His doctorate in economics was awarded by the University of Virginia in 1966. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Francisco Marroquin in 1997 and has published numerous books and articles on a range of subjects, including science policy and the economic systems of Eastern and Central Europe.

He is past president of Sigma Xi, the international scientific honorary society and served as a member of its board of directors from 1991-2000. He is a trustee of the Earhart Foundation and serves on the boards of the Civilian Research and Development Foundation, and the American Institute of Business and Economics in Moscow. He has been a member of the Mont Pelerin Society since 1969 and served as board member and vice president of the society. In 1990, he was awarded the National Science Foundation's Distinguished Service Award.

Moore and his wife Sue have two sons.

This year's distinguished speaker for the award dinner is R.J. Bowers, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and is a member of the Cleveland Browns this season. He is an alumnus of both West Middlesex High School and Grove City College. After six years in professional baseball, Bowers entered Grove City College and compiled an outstanding record of athletic achievement with the Grove City Wolverines over four years. In 40 football games, he gained 9,253 all-purpose yards and has eight first place National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-Division Records.