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Wednesday, May 14, 2025
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania hosts the 2025 Founder’s Award Dinner on Wednesday, May 14th. Join us as we honor Ruth J. Simmons, former president of Prairie View A&M University, Smith College, and Brown University—and the first African American president of an Ivy League institution—with the Founder’s Award for exemplary service to the humanities.
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We will also honor the Pennsylvania Abolition Society (PAS) with the Heritage Award in recognition of their 250 years of advocacy on behalf of Black Americans.
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This special evening – HSP’s largest fundraiser of the year – will include a cocktail reception, dinner, an awards ceremony and a live auction. The evening’s proceeds support HSP’s mission to collect, preserve, and ensure access to the irreplaceable historical evidence found within our collections.
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Individual Tickets: $500 | Sponsorships starting at $1,500
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For more information on tickets and sponsorships, please contact Emily King, Manager of Membership & Development Events at 215-732-6200 (ext. 300) or eking@hsp.org.
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​Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107​
Business Attire
5:30 pm • Cocktail Reception with Live Music and Exclusive Pop-Up Document Display
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7:00 pm • Dinner by Catering by Design followed by Awards Program and Live Auction
Presenting Sponsor, The Haverford Trust Company
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About the Founder's Award
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania 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, the Society established the Founder’s Award for exemplary service to History to recognize leaders in these causes.
Past Honorees
2024:
George F. Will
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2023:
Jake Tapper
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2019:
Annette Gordon-Reed
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2018:
Jill Lepore
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2017:
James McBride
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2016:
Eric Foner
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2015:
Sue Monk Kidd
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2014:
Michael Beschloss
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2013:
Jon Meacham
2012:
David McCullough*​
2011:
Susan Eisenhower
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2010:
Cokie Roberts*
Jerry and Marciarose Shestack
2009:
John C. and Chara C. Haas*
Joseph M. Torsella
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2008:
Al Dia
The Jewish Exponent
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Tribune
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2007:
The Honorable William T. Coleman Jr., Esq.*
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2006:
Andrea Mitchell
Denise Scott Brown
Robert Venturi*
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2005:
Robert Bogle
Ed Bradley*
Terry Gross
Al Hunt Trudy Rubin​​​
2004:
Donald G. Brownlow*
Mary Maples Dunn*
Sheldon Hackney*
Gary Nash*
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2003:
Ken Burns
2002:
James Billington*
Charles Blockson*
Vartan Gregorian*
Bette Bao Lord
2001:
Anne d’Harnoncourt*
Barbara and Henry Jordan
Jim Lehrer*
2000:
James Biddle*
Clayborne Carson
Lorene Cary
Hanna Holborn Gray
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*deceased
About the Heritage Award
The Heritage Award, created in 2005, is presented to those who have made significant contributions to history, heritage, and community in the Philadelphia region and to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in particular.
Past Honorees
2024:
The Philadelphia Phillies
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2023:
Carmen Febo-San Miguel
The Connelly Foundation
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2019:
Charles T. Cullen
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2018:
Siobhan A. Reardon
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2017:
Alice L. George
John C. Van Horne
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2016:
Sam Katz
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2015:
Alice Lea Tasman
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2014:
Majid Alsayegh
Robert J. Rittenhouse
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2013:
Philip Price Jr.*
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2011:
Howard H. Lewis
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2010:
Henry Lafayette Collins
2009:
Barbara L. Greenfield*
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2007:
John C. Bogle*
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2006:
George W. Connell
Ira Harkavy, Ph.D.
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2005:
Bernard Guet
Andrew Speizman
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*deceased
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