Spotlight

One good work of PR is to turn a spotlight onto deserving individuals who work in shadows. This is what the MacArthur Grants do, and here is this year’s group of winners. They are an eclectic mix of science, arts and social activism, but all do important work that distinguishes them in their fields if not in society at large. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has defined a niche for itself with its constant search for “geniuses” who show creativity and “potential for future achievements.”  No other organization can make that claim. It is a wonderful gift to society and one that burnishes the reputations of not only the winners but of the foundation itself. The annual publicity for the awards is not as large as that for Nobel winners but the Nobels have been around for many decades and the MacArthur Grants have not. In time, MacArthur should catch up.