Bishop Lennon to celebrate Red Mass

Bishop Richard G. Lennon will celebrate the “Red Mass” in Summit County on Friday [May 6] at noon at St/ Bernard-St. Mary Church. This is a time to pray for those in the legal and law enforcement professions. It is also the occasion for the annual Sir Thomas More Award—which this year is being given to Akron Attorney Thomas Knoll. Parking is available for free in the “Polsky Deck.

Knoll is the 35th recipient. The first award having been given in 1978 to Judge Arthur Doyle. Last year the award was given to former Ohio Supreme Court Justice and Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Honorable Deborah Cook.

Knoll as been honored by the Greater Akron Chamber with the H. Peter Burg Economic Development and Leadership Award, by the Great Trail Council with the Boy Scouts of America Community Service Award and by the Erie County Chamber of Commerce Gallery of Achievers. This year Tom is also privileged to serve as Honorary Chair of the 2011 Bridgestone Invitational Golf Tournament, an event that has raised more than $19 million dollars for charities throughout Northeast Ohio.

Since coming to Akron in 1965, Tom has served the community as a volunteer on the Akron Community Foundation, the Akron Bar Association (serving as its President in 1985-86), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit and Medina Counties, Goodwill Industries, Habitat for Humanity, Northern Ohio Golf Charities, Summa Health System where he served as board chair for seven years, The First Tee of Akron and The University of Akron Foundation.

In recognition of his corporate law practice, Knoll has been named to Best Lawyers in America for the last 15 years. In 2010, the publication honored him as “Lawyer of the Year” in Corporate Law.

Knoll co-founded Stark & Knoll Co., L.P.A. in 1955 to focus on serving the needs of small and medium sized business clients. For more than 45 years,