went on a round-the-world, luxury cruise with the money he won and sent "wish you were here" postcards back to Welch and his organization every chance they got. Political and social activism In the 1940s, he was active in the fair housing movement, serving on several public bodies devoted to the subject. He presciently warned against the creation of large housing projects, advocating a more scattered approach instead. He also campaigned for the admission of African Americans to the local bar association. In 1969, he was elected to the Illinois Constitutional Convention, where he chaired the committee on its Bill of Rights, working closely with the committee's legal counsel, Dallin H. Oaks. It has been called the strongest bill of rights of any state constitution at that point in time. A decade later, he chaired the equivalent committees of the Illinois and Chicago bar associations. He also served as chairman of the Lawyers' Association. After his death, the Illinois State Bar Association created the Elmer Gertz Lawyer Award in 2000 to recognize lawyers for their exceptional dedication to protecting civil liberties. Elmer Gertz received Israel's Prime Minister's Medal in 1972 for his service on that country's behalf, and considered that his finest accomplishment. "Things do change for the better," he assured some students near the end of his life, "very, very slowly." Elmer Gertz Lawyer Award The Illinois State Bar Association established the Elmer Gertz Lawyer Award in 2000 to recognize lawyers who have shown a continued commitment to preserve and advance human rights. For many years the award was jointly presented with the Blind Service Association, where Elmer Gertz was a board member. The award has been given to the following persons or entities: 2001 - Gregory A. Adamski 2002 - Prof. Ralph Ruebner, The John Marshall Law School (Chicago) 2003 - Prof. Victor J. Stone, University of Illinois College of Law 2004 - Fay Clayton, Chicago 2005 - Award not given 2006 - Prof. Michael P. Seng, The John Marshall Law School (Chicago) 2007 - R. Eugene Pincham, Retired Justice, Illinois Appellate Court 2008 - Prof. Doug Cassel, Notre Dame University School of Law 2009 - Award not given 2010 - Award not given 2011 - Award not given 2012 - Judge Martha A. Mills, Cook County Circuit Court 2013 - Jody Raphael, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center, DePaul University College of Law (Chicago) 2014 -