Nearly two years ago, Craig Beaver, a newly arrived custodian in Duffield Hall, showed kindness and understanding to a group of harried seniors studying for their final exams -- for no other reason than that's the sort of person he is. He even brought them cookies to help get them through their studies.

He did not realize how much one of those students, Katie Bartels, was deeply touched by his thoughtfulness. He certainly could not have suspected that she would recount his simple acts of caring to her parents, Phil Bartels, a 1971 Cornell graduate and member of the Cornell University Council, and his wife, Susan. Nor could he have known that Bartels would then ask Rob Osborn, Cornell's facilities director for Building Care, if the Bartels family could sponsor an annual awards program to formally recognize the outstanding customer service performed by Building Care's custodial staff.

That's why in the Statler Ballroom on Friday, Feb. 1, the Bartels family -- Phil, Susan, Katie '06 and her brother, Christopher '09 -- joined Osborn, other key administrators and the 297 custodians from the Department of Building Care in thanking Beaver in person for his kindness. Their thanks inaugurated the first annual Bartels Award for Custodial Service Excellence.

"When Phil Bartels approached me last year with his desire to do something to highlight the very positive impact that Building Care's custodial staff has on Cornell's overall academic environment, I was honestly moved beyond words," explained Osborn. "Many building-care employees have been recognized informally for their excellent service and for performing random acts of kindness toward Cornell students and staff, such as returning a student's lost wallet, finding a graduate student's final thesis in the recycling or simply demonstrating an act of good customer service. But Phil wanted to do more."

Together, Osborn and Bartels developed the criteria for the annual Bartels Award for Custodial Service Excellence. Every year the award will go to five custodians with at least five years of service, nominated by the Building Care management team based on work performance.

Noted Osborn, "Thanks to the generosity of Phil Bartels and his family in creating this prestigious award, we can now more formally recognize the role that the staff in Building Care plays in making Cornell a better place to work, teach or study."

In a letter to the Building Care staff, President David Skorton wrote, "It's great to have this special award to recognize some of you whose efforts go far beyond the ordinary."

The five custodians who received awards were Roy Boudreaux, Terry Hamilton, Judy Hand, Carol Hawes and Charlotte Little.

Boudreaux, a Purple Heart veteran of the U.S. Army, has worked for 37 years at Building Care, first on the contract college side and now on the endowed. He is noted for his dedication and willingness to tackle any project that needs attention.

Hamilton, with 25 years of service, began his Cornell career at the Statler Hotel, and now works in Corson-Mudd Hall. Dean of the Faculty Charles Walcott has noted that Hamilton is always cheerful and goes out of his way to take care of the faculty.

Hand, a custodian in Uris Hall with 19 years of service, is known for her integrity, honesty and willingness to work on special events. Her husband, Al, also works in Building Care.

Hawes has been with Building Care for 16 years. Polishing glass and mirrors and otherwise making the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts shine, she is known for her attention to detail, especially prior to major performances.

Little is the widely liked head custodian at Martha Van Rensselaer Hall and has responsibility for the dean's suite in the College of Human Ecology.

Each awardee was called to the podium to shake hands with Osborn, the Bartels family and the Building Care assistant directors and to receive a recognition plaque and a check. Said Phil Bartels, "Each of you, to our family, is a very special person."

The ceremony concluded with Katie Bartels' presentation of a sixth award to Craig Beaver for starting it all, even though he had only two years of service. It was, she noted, his interactions with her and her friends that created "an extremely user-friendly place in which students could do their serious studying."