The Boxing Writers Association of America has selected New York State Athletic Commission chairman Ron Scott Stevens to receive the James A. Farley Award for honesty and integrity.

The Farley Award is a rarely bestowed honor voted upon by the BWAA’s officers and board of directors. Prior to last year, when there were four recipients, the Farley Award hadn’t been presented since 1996.

Stevens will become only the 11th person to receive the Farley Award since its inception in 1977. He will be honored at the 82nd annual BWAA Awards Dinner on June 8 at the Copacabana in New York.

The New York native has been involved in boxing for more than a quarter century in a variety of roles. Among other things, he was a ring announcer, journalist, broadcaster, matchmaker and promoter before taking over one of the most prominent boxing regulatory bodies in the world. In June 2003, New York Gov. George Pataki appointed Stevens chairman of the troubled NYSAC.

“Under Stevens’ watch, the NYSAC has gone from a corrupt, useless entity to overseer of a boxing renaissance in New York,” George Willis wrote August 2006 in the New York Post.

Stevens has been a staunch advocate for safety and medical accountability in the sport. Under Stevens’ watch, the commission implemented mandatory MRIs for all boxers and initiated steroid testing procedures.

Stevens boldly placed Evander Holyfield on medical suspension for diminished skills after the former heavyweight champion lost to Larry Donald in November 2004. When James Toney tested positive for steroids after defeating John Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight championship in April 2005, the NYSAC changed Toney’s victory to a no-decision, leading the WBA to strip him of the title.

In addition to his work in boxing, Stevens is a playwright. His fourth play “Cherry’s Patch,” a firehouse drama, was dedicated to the New York City firemen who died while responding to the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.