January 17, 2013

Associated Press

 

Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. has become the first out-of-state resident honored by a Utah human rights group.

The 76-year-old Gossett received the Drum Major Award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Utah Human Rights Commission during a luncheon last Friday in West Valley City.

Then-Gov. Michael Leavitt signed an executive order creating the commission in 1999 in an effort to promote principles of human rights.

Gossett stressed the importance of education and being sensitive to other cultures during an address to a crowd of about 200.

Gossett has appeared in dozens of films. He won an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1983 for his portrayal of the no-nonsense Navy flight school sergeant who whips Richard Gere into shape in “An Officer and a Gentleman.”

Category: Arts & Culture