the recipient of hundreds of awards and nineteen honorary degrees, cheek has served as a board member of several colleges and universities including the university of miami, drew university, colgate rochester university, new york institute of technology, benedict college, florida memorial college, fisk university and howard university. his presidential appointments include the board of foreign scholarships, national advisory council to the peace corps, unesco, commission on selection of white house fellows and the president's board of advisors on historically black colleges and universities.