President Barack Obama will present National Humanities Medals to 12 people in a White House ceremony on Sept. 22. Recipients include a chef, a physician — and five Pulitzer Prize winners.
“Our understanding of ourselves, our history and our culture have been deepened and transformed by these extraordinary humanities medalists,” National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman William Adams said.
The Pulitzer winners to be honored are:
- Ron Chernow, 2011 Biography: "For bringing our Nation’s story to life. Through his examination of America’s successful giants and titans, he also invites his readers to discover their failures and foibles, uncovering enduring lessons that inform our modern era."
- Louise Glück, 1993 Poetry: "For giving lyrical expression to our inner conflicts. Her use of verse connects us to the myths of the ancients, the magic of the natural world, and the essence of who we are."
- Wynton Marsalis, 1997 Music: "For celebrating the traditions of jazz music from New Orleans to Lincoln Center and beyond. As a virtuoso trumpet player, composer, and educator, he has brought jazz to a wider audience and inspired music lovers to embrace America’s quintessential sound."
- Louis Menand, 2002 History: "For prose and essays that invite us to think in new ways about the forces shaping our society. His influential works of intellectual and cultural history probe the power of ideas from one era to the next as they ripple across politics and culture."
- Isabel Wilkerson, 1994 Feature Writing: "For championing the stories of an unsung history. Her masterful combination of intimate human narratives with broader societal trends allows us to measure the epic migration of a people by its vast impact on our Nation and on each individual life."
Others being honored by Obama are: author Rudolfo Anaya; chef and entrepreneur José Andrés; radio host and producer Terry Gross; author James McBride; historian and author Elaine Pagels; physician, professor and author Abraham Verghese, and the Prison University Project higher education program.
Each year, the NEH invites medalist nominations from individuals and organizations across the country. The National Council on the Humanities, NEH’s presidentially nominated and Senate-confirmed advisory body, reviews the nominations and provides recommendations to the president, who selects the recipients.
Since 1996, when the first National Humanities Medal was given, 175 individuals have been honored, inclusive of this year’s recipients. Thirteen organizations have also received medals.
This year's awards ceremony will stream live at WH.gov/live.