Dr. Norman Key Safety Scholarship

The Dr. Norman Key Safety Scholarship is available through the University of Central Missouri Alumni Foundation for a student pursuing a degree in safety science at UCM who has a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or a minimum graduate GPA of 3.75 and demonstrates outstanding leadership. This scholarship is made possible by way of a generous gift from Dr. H. Norman Key and his family and friends.

During the period 1951-1970, Dr. Key served as executive secretary and later as executive director of the National Commission on Safety Education, National Education Association, Washington, D.C. Under his leadership at the Commission, national conferences were held every five years to develop policies and practices for driver and safety education and school transportation. The resulting publications have provided national direction for local school districts, state departments of education, colleges and universities, and private sector organizations.

He sparked a movement leading to the first national meeting of state leaders of driver and safety education in 1956 and steered those leaders through the historic process of founding the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association. He led the staff in providing the necessary headquarters services to ADTSEA during its first 14 years to 1970. Dr. Key was also instrumental in forming the National Student Safety Program (NSSP) in 1958. The National Commission on Safety Education staff served as secretariat for NSSP from 1958 until 1970. Both ADTSEA and NSSP have continued to be active in making significant contributions to the ongoing safety movement.

Dr. Key also served as a supervisor of transportation and school plants in Jefferson City, Birmingham, Alabama; a traffic consultant for the American Automobile Association in Washington, D.C.; and as chairman, Division of Engineering, Health and Public Service Technology, Northern Virginia Community College. Due to all of his accomplishments, Dr. Key was frequently referred to as “Mr. Safety – USA.”