Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals are presented annually by the University of Virginia to recognize enduring contributions in three fields that deeply interested Thomas Jefferson – architecture, law, and citizen leadership.
The awards are sponsored by UVa and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., the private, nonprofit corporation that has owned and operated Monticello since 1923.
The medals are the highest external awards bestowed by the University of Virginia, which grants no honorary degrees.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture was established in 1966. The first recipient was Mies van der Rohe. The 2007 recipient is Zaha Hadid.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Law was first presented in 1977, to federal Judge Carl McGowan. The 2007 receipient is Anne-Marie Slaughter.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership was established in 2007. Economist Alan Greenspan is the first recipient.
The medals are presented each year on April 13, the anniversary of Jefferson’s birth in 1743 and Founder’s Day at UVa.