Another honor
Ron Chernow addresses the graduating class of 2012
When renowned biographer Ron Chernow received an honorary Skidmore doctorate at Commencement 2012, he told the new graduates, “It’s my sad task to tell you--and I hate to be the one to break the bad news---that for many, if not most of you, your lives will bear scant resemblance to the lavish daydreams you harbor today.”
Four years later Chernow has had a big surprise in his own life: today President Barack Obama announced him as one of 12 distinguished recipients of the 2015 National Humanities Medal, to be bestowed at a livestreamed White House ceremony on September 22.
Chernow’s Pulitzer and other prize-winning books include The House of Morgan, Alexander Hamilton, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, and Washington: A Life. His work also appears in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other outlets.
Each year, the National Council on the Humanities reviews medal nominations and recommends finalist to the President. Since its debut in 1996, 175 individuals have received a National Humanities Medal.
