Thomas Jefferson Award
Call for Nominations: Spring 2024
Submission Deadline: Summer 2024
The Thomas Jefferson Award is made annually “for distinguished service to Vanderbilt through extraordinary contributions as a member of the faculty in the councils and government of the University.”
The award is presented by the Chancellor at the first meeting of the Fall Faculty Assembly, which officially begins each academic year. The prize carries with it an engraved pewter goblet and $5,000.
The recipient is named by the Chancellor on the basis of the nomination of the Consultative Committee of the Faculty Senate. Faculty members in all schools are eligible. The Thomas Jefferson Award is endowed at several universities by the Robert Earl McConnell Foundation. It was first established at the University of Virginia in honor of that institution’s founder. It has been presented at Vanderbilt since 1967.
Please submit all nominations electronically via InfoReady. You must log in to the system using your VUnetID and password.
Provide a file as evidence of the nominee’s contribution to the councils and government of the University. Describe how that person’s contributions are extraordinary or why you think this person deserves the award. Attach the nominee’s current CV. PDF files are accepted.
Previous recipients are not eligible.
If you have questions regarding the Thomas Jefferson Award or the submission of nominations, please contact Stacey Andrews (stacey.andrews@vanderbilt.edu).
Current Winner
- Catherine McTamaney (Teaching & Learning)
- 2022 Senta Victoria Greene (Physics & Astronomy)
- 2021 John McLean (Chemistry)
- 2020 Geoffrey Fleming (Pediatrics)
- 2019 Timothy McNamara (Psychology)
- 2018 Brian Heuser (Leadership, Policy & Organizations)
- 2017 Richard Willis (Owen)
- 2016 Malcom Getz (Economics)
- 2015 Ron Emeson (Pharmacology)
- 2014 D. Catherine Fuchs (Psychiatry)
- 2013 Gordon R. Bernard (Medicine)
- 2012 Vanessa Beasley (Communication Studies)
- 2011 Kassian Kovalcheck (Communication Studies)
- 2010 Virginia M. Scott (French & Italian)
- 2009 David A. Weintraub (Physics & Astronomy)
- 2008 Randolph Blake (Psychology)
- 2007 Virginia L. Shepherd (Pathology) and Matthew Ramsey (History)
- 2006 K. Arthur Overholser (Biomedical Engineering)
- 2005 Douglas A. Knight (Divinity)
- 2004 Lee E. Limbird (Pharmacology)
- 2003 Howard M. Sandler (Psychology)
- 2002 Thomas R. McCoy (Law)
- 2001 Gary F. Jensen (Sociology)
- 2000 Jimmie L. Franklin (History)
- 1999 James V. Staros (Molecular Biology)
- 1998 David F. Partlett (Law)
- 1997 John Wikswo (Physics & Astronomy)
- 1996 Eugene TeSelle (Divinity)
- 1995 Joseph H. Hamilton (Physics & Astronomy)
- 1994 Molly Fritz Miller (Geology)
- 1993 H. Jackson Forstman (Divinity)
- 1992 Robert N. Covington (Law)
- 1991 Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey (Psychology)
- 1990 Paul K. Conkin (History)
- 1989 C. Elton Hinshaw (Economics)
- 1988 Elizabeth Spencer Goldman (Teaching & Learning)
- 1987 Fred Gorstein (Pathology)
- 1986 Billy F. Bryant (Mathematics)
- 1985 Walter Harrelson (Divinity)
- 1984 Charles F. Delzell (History)
- 1983 Robert H. Birkby (Political Science)
- 1982 Susan Ford Wiltshire (Classical Studies)
- 1981 James R. Wesson (Mathematics)
- 1980 Mildred Stahlman (Pediatrics)
- 1979 Lou Silberman (Divinity)
- 1978 John G. Coniglio (Biochemistry)
- 1977 Oscar Touster (Molecular Biology)
- 1976 Ingram Bloch (Physics & Astronomy)
- 1975 Virgil S. LeQuire (Pathology)
- 1974 Lamar Field (Chemistry)
- 1973 Herbert Weaver (History)
- 1972 Robert Lagemann (Physics & Astronomy)
- 1971 Paul H. Hardacre (History)
- 1970 Alex Dragnich (Political Science)
- 1969 William J. Darby (Medicine)
- 1968 Paul J. Hartman (Law)
- 1967 Wendell G. Holladay (Physics & Astronomy)
- 2022 Senta Victoria Greene (Physics & Astronomy)
- 2021 John McLean (Chemistry)
- 2020 Geoffrey Fleming (Pediatrics)
- 2019 Timothy McNamara (Psychology)
- 2018 Brian Heuser (Leadership, Policy & Organizations)
- 2017 Richard Willis (Owen)
- 2016 Malcom Getz (Economics)
- 2015 Ron Emeson (Pharmacology)
- 2014 D. Catherine Fuchs (Psychiatry)
- 2013 Gordon R. Bernard (Medicine)
- 2012 Vanessa Beasley (Communication Studies)
- 2011 Kassian Kovalcheck (Communication Studies)
- 2010 Virginia M. Scott (French & Italian)
- 2009 David A. Weintraub (Physics & Astronomy)
- 2008 Randolph Blake (Psychology)
- 2007 Virginia L. Shepherd (Pathology) and Matthew Ramsey (History)
- 2006 K. Arthur Overholser (Biomedical Engineering)
- 2005 Douglas A. Knight (Divinity)
- 2004 Lee E. Limbird (Pharmacology)
- 2003 Howard M. Sandler (Psychology)
- 2002 Thomas R. McCoy (Law)
- 2001 Gary F. Jensen (Sociology)
- 2000 Jimmie L. Franklin (History)
- 1999 James V. Staros (Molecular Biology)
- 1998 David F. Partlett (Law)
- 1997 John Wikswo (Physics & Astronomy)
- 1996 Eugene TeSelle (Divinity)
- 1995 Joseph H. Hamilton (Physics & Astronomy)
- 1994 Molly Fritz Miller (Geology)
- 1993 H. Jackson Forstman (Divinity)
- 1992 Robert N. Covington (Law)
- 1991 Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey (Psychology)
- 1990 Paul K. Conkin (History)
- 1989 C. Elton Hinshaw (Economics)
- 1988 Elizabeth Spencer Goldman (Teaching & Learning)
- 1987 Fred Gorstein (Pathology)
- 1986 Billy F. Bryant (Mathematics)
- 1985 Walter Harrelson (Divinity)
- 1984 Charles F. Delzell (History)
- 1983 Robert H. Birkby (Political Science)
- 1982 Susan Ford Wiltshire (Classical Studies)
- 1981 James R. Wesson (Mathematics)
- 1980 Mildred Stahlman (Pediatrics)
- 1979 Lou Silberman (Divinity)
- 1978 John G. Coniglio (Biochemistry)
- 1977 Oscar Touster (Molecular Biology)
- 1976 Ingram Bloch (Physics & Astronomy)
- 1975 Virgil S. LeQuire (Pathology)
- 1974 Lamar Field (Chemistry)
- 1973 Herbert Weaver (History)
- 1972 Robert Lagemann (Physics & Astronomy)
- 1971 Paul H. Hardacre (History)
- 1970 Alex Dragnich (Political Science)
- 1969 William J. Darby (Medicine)
- 1968 Paul J. Hartman (Law)
- 1967 Wendell G. Holladay (Physics & Astronomy)