Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals

The University of Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello will present their highest honors, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals in architecture, law and citizen leadership, during Founder's Day activities on April 13.

The awards are presented jointly on April 13—Jefferson's birthday—by U.Va., which he founded in Charlottesville in 1819, and by the Foundation, the independent, nonprofit organization that owns and operates his home, Monticello.

This year's recipients:  

Laurie Olin, a distinguished professor, author and renowned landscape architect whose designs include the Washington Monument Grounds in Washington, D.C. and Bryant Park in New York City.  

Robert S. Mueller III, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who has led the bureau’s post-9/11 transformation. 

Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach For America, which has inspired more than 38,000 top recent college graduates and young professionals to join the movement to ensure educational opportunity for all.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals are the highest external honors bestowed by the University, which grants no honorary degrees. They recognize achievements of those who embrace endeavors in which Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third U.S. president, excelled and held in high regard.

Founders Day Events

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy will host a public talk by Wendy Kopp on April 11 at 2 p.m. in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium.

Jefferson’s Birthday Celebration at Monticello: Kopp will also be the featured speaker at Monticello's commemoration of Jefferson's 270th birthday, on April 12 at 10 a.m. on the West Lawn of Monticello. The celebration is free and open to the public. 

The School of Architecture will host a public talk by Olin on April 12 at 3 p.m. in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium.

The School of Law will host a public talk by Robert Mueller on April 12 at 10 a.m.