The Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities recognizes an individual who has made significant scholarly contributions to the humanities and who has the ability to communicate the knowledge and wisdom of the humanities in a broadly appealing way. Established in 1972, the Jefferson Lecture is the highest honor the federal government bestows for distinguished intellectual and public achievement in the humanities. The lecture is delivered annually in the spring in Washington, D.C.

A complete list of the Jefferson Lecturers is available here. Additional material is available online about the careers of and speeches by John Updike, Harvey Mansfield, Tom Wolfe, Donald Kagan, Helen Vendler, David McCullough, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Arthur Miller, and James McPherson.

The National Humanities Medal

The National Humanities Medal, inaugurated in 1997, honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens' engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans' access to important resources in the humanities. Up to 12 medals can be awarded each year.

A list of the National Humanities Medal winners is available here. Profiles of the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 winners can be found in Humanities magazine. Profiles of the 2008 recipients are also available online.

The medal replaces the Charles Frankel Prize in the Humanities. The new award, a bronze medallion, was designed by 1995 Frankel Prize winner David Macaulay.