Dr. Ruth Simmons—the prominent education leader who was the first African American to lead an Ivy League institution—was among 18 other individuals who was honored on Monday with a National Humanities Medal at the White House.
Simmons, whose career in the academy has included teaching and administrative positions at Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College, Princeton University and Smith College, is the author of the bestselling memoir Up Home: One Girl’s Journey.
“The National Humanities Medal recipients have enriched our world through writing that moves and inspires us; scholarship that enlarges our understanding of the past; and through their dedication to educating, informing, and giving voice to communities and histories often overlooked,” said NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). “I am proud to join President Biden in recognizing these distinguished leaders for their outstanding contributions to our nation’s cultural life.”
The following 19 recipients comprise the 2022 and 2023 cohorts of the National Humanities Medal:
2022 National Humanities Medalists:
- Wallis Annenberg, philanthropist
- Appalshop, community arts and programming center
- Joy Harjo, poet
- Robin Harris, principal and educator
- Juan Felipe Herrera, writer
- Robert Martin, administrator in Indigenous higher education
- Jon Meacham, writer and historian
- Ruth J. Simmons, academic administrator in higher education
- Pauline Yu, scholar of Chinese literature
2023 National Humanities Medalists:
- Anthony Bourdain (posthumous), chef and author
- LeVar Burton, actor and literacy advocate
- Roz Chast, cartoonist and author
- Nicolás Kanellos, scholar and publisher of Hispanic literature
- Robin Wall Kimmerer, scholar and author
- Mellon Foundation, philanthropic organization
- Dawn Porter, filmmaker
- Aaron Sorkin, playwright, screenwriter, and director
- Darren Walker, social justice philanthropist
- Rosita Worl, anthropologist and cultural leader
The first National Humanities Medal was awarded in 1996. Since then, 225 medals have been bestowed—207 to individuals and 18 to organizations—inclusive of this year’s recipients.
The 2022 and 2023 National Medals of Arts were also presented at the same ceremony. Missy Elliott, Idina Menzel, Carrie Mae Weems, Queen Latifah, Spike Lee, and Steven Spielberg were among the recipients.