The Springfield Urban League compiled a proud record of promoting racial equality, social justice and service to the underprivileged. But something went wrong along the way.

	"Kudos for taking a reader's call and then developing it to a good example of public service. It would have been easy to let a caller's complaint — a mother upset that her daughter had not received her scholarship — just fall between the cracks. It is also noted that it is not easy investigating a charity with strong ties to the community and defending the article amid charges that the paper was trying "to kill" a charity. Reporter made good use of Freedom of Information Act, tax records and public documents. Dogged pursuit of the story, not a one shot deal."
	• Agency's Finances Troubled. Urban League's Record Of Financial Mismanagement Places Programs In Danger • ‘Clean Sweep' Urged. Local Naacp Leaders Advocate Overhaul At Urban League • State Agency Halts Funding. Audit Team Will Examine Urban League Performance • County Ends Support For Program. The Urban League's Failure To Provide Worker's Compensation Insurance For Employees Was The Last Straw, Official Says • Urban League Says It's Dead, Closing Friday. National Organization Was Severing Its Ties

Springfield News-Sun Reporter Anthony J. Gottschlich's investigation in early 2002 revealed a history of another sort at the League. He examined tax returns, audit reports, contracts, court records and other documents with city, state and federal sources. He used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain scores of documents, memos and other correspondence between the League and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He interviewed numerous local, state and national officials, as well as several former Urban League employees.

The News-Sun's series, "The Urban League: A Mission Challenged," was published in February 2002. Gottschlich found widespread mismanagement and fraud, broken contracts and broken laws, unpaid taxes and staggering debts costing taxpayers more than a half million dollars a year for services poorly provided or not delivered at all.

In the weeks after publication, the League's funding agencies began investigations of their own. After finding sloppy bookwork, contract violations and program problems, the agencies froze or terminated funding of the League.

In April 2002, the National Urban League announced its intentions to sever its ties with its affiliate. The following month, the board of trustees of the Springfield Urban League laid off its employees and then resigned, turning over the keys to a new team committed to rescuing the beleaguered agency.

This is the second time in three years for a series by Anthony J. Gottschlich to win first place in Best of Cox Community Public Service. His winning 2001 package was an expose of the operations of the Arms of Love Inc. AIDS charity and bingo hall.

A Dayton native, Gottschlich graduated from Ohio State University and also earned a Master's degree in journalism from that school.