2002 Award Recipient

The Writers Guild of America, west has chosen acclaimed television writer D.C. Fontana to be this year’s recipient of the Morgan Cox Award, at the Guild’s 54th awards ceremony on Saturday, March 2, 2002.

The Morgan Cox Award is presented to that member whose vital ideas, continuing efforts and personal sacrifice best exemplify the ideal of service to the Guild. Previous recipients of the Morgan Cox Award include Fay Kanin, Alfred L. and Helen Levitt, Leonard Spigelgass, Allen Rivkin, Melville Shavelson, Irma Kalish, Ann Marcus and Del Reisman. Last year’s recipient was WGAw Past President George Kirgo.

"As a result of her hard work over the years, Dorothy Fontana has made the Guild a better organization," said Victoria Riskin, WGAw President. "She richly deserves this recognition."

D.C. Fontana has been a member of the Writers Guild of America, west since 1960, serving on the Board of Directors twice, in 1988-90 and again in 1991-93. She has worked on a variety of Guild committees, including the Forum for Professional Advancement (member 1964-67), Academic Liaison (member 1973, chair 1977-78), Constitutional Amendments (member 1980-83), Freelance Writers (member 1982-91, 1996-2001), Human Resources Coordinating (member 1988-91), Age Awareness (member 1997-2002). Fontana, as a member of the Property Planning Committee from 1995 to 1997, was part of a group that previously received the Morgan Cox Award, in 1997.

D.C. Fontana is well known for writing science fiction, having written or co-written episodes of the original Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as episodes of Babylon 5 and Earth: Final Conflict. In addition, she has also written episodes of The Waltons, Dallas, Streets of San Francisco, Kung Fu, Six Million Dollar Man, Ghost Story, Bonanza, High Chapparal, Here Come the Brides, The Big Valley and Ben Casey. She received a Writers Guild Award nomination in 1969 for "Two Percent of Nothing," an episode of Then Came Bronson.

Fontana is also the author of three books: "The Brazos River," "The Questor Tapes," "Vulcan's Glory."

Morgan B. Cox devoted much of his professional life to serving the Writers Guild—in particular he helped ensure that television writers were included under the jurisdiction of the Writers Guild. He died in 1968.