Nichols-Chancellor's Medal

The Nichols-Chancellor's Medal was created and endowed by Vanderbilt Law School graduate Ed Nichols and his wife, Janice, in honor of Edward Carmack and Lucile Hamby Nichols.

Senior Class Day is held the day before Vanderbilt's annual Commencement ceremony. It begins with the traditional Senior Walk through the main gates of the university, followed by a program on Alumni Lawn.

Nominations are currently being taken for the 2008 Nichols-Chancellor's Medalist.

Submit a nomination.

Previous Nichols-Chancellor's Medal Winners

Muhammad Yunus, 2007

Muhammad Yunus, Vanderbilt alumnus and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was awarded the Nichols-Chancellors Medal and $100,000 prize May 10. Yunus developed the concept of micro-credit and founded the Grameen Bank, which has improved the lives of millions in his native Bangladesh through small loans to fund enterprises and buy livestock.

Yunus earned a Ph.D in economics at Vanderbilt in 1971 through the Graduate Program in Economic Development. The Grameen (which means "rural" in Bengali) Bank began in the village of Jobra in 1976, when Yunus lent $27 to 42 self-employed crafts workers. He reasoned that if money were made available to poor people on appropriate and reasonable terms, "these millions of small people with their millions of small pursuits can add up to create the biggest development wonder." The Grameen Bank has since loaned nearly $6 billion to 6.61 million borrowers, and 99 percent of the loans have been repaid. The bank provides services in more than 71,000 villages in Bangladesh through 2,226 branches.

Listen to Yunus' address.
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Laura Bush, 2006

First Lady Laura Bush was the winner of the Nichols-Chancellor's Medal its inaugural year. Mrs. Bush accepted the award on behalf of disaster relief workers around the world who, at great peril to their personal safety, provided assistance to victims of natural disasters around the world. Mrs. Bush donated the $100,000 cash prize to Vanderbilt to create the Nichols Humanitarian Fund, which provides travel and living expenses for students and faculty who volunteer for disaster relief assignments around the world.

Mrs. Bush is actively involved in issues of national and global concern, with a particular emphasis on education, health care, and human rights. She is honorary ambassador for the Decade of Literacy of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), serving as an international spokesperson for efforts to educate people throughout the world, especially women and girls. As the leader of President Bush's Helping America's Youth initiative, Mrs. Bush works to draw attention to programs that help children avoid risky behaviors like drug and alcohol use, early sexual activity, and violence. She also has emphasized the need of every child to have a caring adult role model in his or her life. She convened the Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development, at which prominent scholars and educators shared research on the best ways for parents and caregivers to prepare children for lifelong learning.   She also works with teacher recruitment programs like Teach For America, The New Teacher Project, and Troops to Teachers and supports education campaigns for breast cancer and heart disease.

Listen to Mrs. Bush's address..
Watch video of Mrs. Bush's address (RealPlayer).
Read the full text of the address.