Awards and Honors

Janet R. Griffin, Ph.D., Retired Professor of English, Howard University, wins Volunteer of the Year Award

Retired Professor of English, Howard University, has received the Prince Georges’ County Government Volunteer

of the Year Award.

A description of her

award appears in the narrative below.

Janet R. Griffin, professionally known as Lady Janet or Lady J, is a retired Howard

University professor/author/poet. She was a professor of English for more than four

decades, teaching students the fundamentals of English, including English grammar

and composition. In addition to teaching, Lady Janet has published more than ten

volumes of poetry which have been donated to students and can be purchased on

amazon.com and alibris.com. One of Lady J’s lifelong passions has been mentoring

young people, especially young women and children. The Columbia Gospel Messenger

choir was the first itinerant choir organized in Columbia, MD. It contained more than 74

children.

Along with mentoring, Lady J has always volunteered her free time in various

capacities. For more than 40 years, she has maintained proudly her public relations

usher position at the Arena Stage. She also serves hot lunch for the Prince George’s

County Senior Nutrition Program. After retiring, Lady J perfected her crochet art skills in

the service of donating her artwork to Howard University Hospital cancer patients. Her

“caps supreme” with matching scarves and other stylish beanies are masterful and

popular gifts for any occasion. In recent months, Lady Janet’s art designs have

expanded to include exquisite, crochet beanie caps for newborn babies to be donated to

local hospitals.