About the Founder's Award

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About the Founder's Award

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) seeks not only to enrich and maintain the historical record, but also to champion history’s uses and enhance its value to the public. As part of its 175th anniversary celebration, HSP established the Founder’s Award for Exemplary Service to History to recognize leaders in these causes.

The medal was commissioned with the assistance of Lea Aspinwall Cadwalader, in memory of her husband John Cadwalader, a longtime HSP councilor. The face of the medal is based on Alexander Milne Calder’s model for the statue of William Penn atop Philadelphia’s City Hall.

Past Honorees:

2000
James Biddle
Clayborne Carson
Lorene Cary
Hanna Holborn Gray

2001
Anne d’Harnoncourt
Barbara and Henry Jordan
Jim Lehrer

2002
James Billington
Charles Blockson
Vartan Gregorian
Bette Bao Lord

2003
Ken Burns

2004
Donald G. Brownlow
Mary Maples Dunn
Sheldon Hackney
Gary Nash

2005
Robert Bogle
Ed Bradley
Terry Gross
Al Hunt
Trudy Rubin

2006
Andrea Mitchell
Denise Scott Brown
Robert Venturi

2007
The Honorable William T. Coleman Jr., Esq.

2008
Al Día
The Jewish Exponent
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Tribune

2009
John C. and Chara C. Haas
Joseph M. Torsella

2010
Cokie Roberts
Jerry and Marciarose Shestack

2011
Susan Eisenhower

2012
David McCullough

2013
Jon Meacham

2014
Michael Beschloss
 
2015 
Sue Monk Kidd
 
2016
Eric Foner
 
2017
James McBride
 
2018
Jill Lepore
 
2019
Annette Gordon-Reed
 

About the Heritage Award

The Heritage Award, created in 2005, is presented to those who have made significant contributions to the future of the heritage of the Philadelphia region and in support of the work of HSP.

The face of the medal depicts HSP’s historic Addison Hutton building at 1300 Locust Street, the repository for over 21 million documents (including the only handwritten working drafts of the U.S. Constitution), books, photographs, maps, and other graphics—essential material for understanding the nation, the commonwealth, and Philadelphia.

Past Honorees:

2005
Bernard Guet
Andrew Speizman

2006
George W. Connell
Ira Harkavy, Ph.D.

2007
John C. Bogle

2009
Barbara L. Greenfield

2010
Henry Lafayette Collins III

2011
Howard H. Lewis

2012
Collin F. McNeil

2013
Sarah D. Price
Philip Price Jr.

2014
Majid Alsayegh
Robert J. Rittenhouse
 
2015
Alice Lea Tasman
 
2016
Sam Katz
 
2017
Alice L. George
John Van Horne
 
2018
Siobhan A. Rearden
 
2019
Charles T. Cullen