the ten founding members of which were Gilbert C. Clippinger, Charles A. Fisher, William M. Glenn, H. Hedges, L. Aldis Hutchens, Edward H. Lockwood, LeRoy H. Millikan, Eugene C. Pulliam, Paul M. Riddick, and Lawrence H. Sloan. The organization continued to function as a fraternity until 1960, when it became a professional society. At the 1969 San Diego convention, Sigma Delta Chi made the decision to begin admitting women into the society. In 1973, the society changed its name to Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi. Finally, in 1988 "Sigma Delta Chi" was dropped from the name altogether and the present Society of Professional Journalists name was officially adopted. Budget In 2009, The Society of Professional Journalists had revenue of $1.4 million. It spent $1.6 million. The same year, the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation had a revenue of $934,731 and expenditures of $766,690. Sigma Delta Chi received $312,500 in grants in 2009. Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award The Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award is awarded annually by the Society of Professional Journalists in honor of publisher Eugene S. Pulliam's dedication to First Amendment rights and values. The award seeks "to honor a person or persons who have fought to protect and preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment." Kunkel Awards Responding to concerns originating in the Gamergate controversy, in 2015 the SPJ launched the Kunkel Awards (named after pioneering video game journalist Bill Kunkel) for game journalism. The award was folded into the Mark of Excellence Awards in 2020 Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement The Helen Thomas lifetime achievement award was awarded by the SPJ between 2000 and 2010. It was named after Helen Thomas, who received the first award in 2000. The award was discontinued in 2011 due to the controversy surrounding Thomas's statements about Jews and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Other Awards The SPJ also administers the Green Eyeshade Awards and the Sunshine State Awards. The Green Eyeshade Awards annually recognize journalists in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The Sunshine State Awards are given each year to journalists in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. References External links Sigma Delta Chi records at the University of Maryland Libraries Journalism-related professional associations Organizations established in 1909 1909 establishments in Indiana DePauw University Professional associations based in the United States