Toni Morrison was awarded the Thomas Jefferson Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts, Social Sciences, or Humanities in 2018. The citation inscribed on the prize certificate reads “in recognition of a distinguished lifetime of extraordinary contributions to American letters. With a unique gift of language and unbounded imagination, Toni Morrison’s highly acclaimed works of fiction and non-fiction have served as reminders of the social realities of difference in American life, while serving also as timeless meditations on the human condition. Her literary genius is celebrated throughout the world. Her appeal spans the generations.”

Because Toni Morrison was unable to attend the medal presentation at the Society's November 2018 meeting, her friend Professor Farah Jasmine Griffin accepted the award on her behalf. Dr. Griffin is William B. Ransford Professor of English & Comparative Literature and African American Studies at Columbia University.

Toni Morrison’s accolades include the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her work is widely recognized for both its literary and cultural significance. In addition to her twelve novels, she has written plays, non-fiction pieces, and children’s literature. Yet above and beyond her impressive awards and honors, the narratives she has set down stand as testaments to the liberating power of reading and of storytelling. Through her writing, she has given voice and light to aspects of the American story that have long been excluded from the nation’s narrative.

In 1993, the United States Congress praised the American Philosophical Society as "the oldest learned society in the United States and one of the principal scholarly and scientific bodies in the world." Congress honored the Society and its third President, Thomas Jefferson, for "devotion to learning" by authorizing the minting of the Thomas Jefferson Medal. Thomas Jefferson served as President of the American Philosophical Society at the same time that he was Vice President and then President of the United States. The medal is the Society's highest award for the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

The members of the selection committee were the Society’s President Linda Greenhouse (Chair), Executive Officer Robert M. Hauser, and Council members representing Classes 3 and 4 Richard M. Shiffrin, Howard Gardner, Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Jeremy A. Sabloff, Christopher Jones, and Roger S. Bagnall.

Bryan Stevenson received the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Public Service at the 2018 November Meeting of the American Philosophical Society. The citation inscribed on the prize certificate reads “in recognition of his tireless advocacy on behalf of the most vulnerable in our society, from death row inmates to minors sentenced to life without parole; his pathbreaking efforts to combat racism and economic inequality in the criminal justice system as the director of the Equal Justice Initiative; his commitment to advancing the cause of truth and reconciliation by carefully documenting this nation's history of racial terror and lynching as founder of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice; and his dedication to educating and inspiring a new generation of lawyers as a Professor of Law at New York University. The American Philosophical Society honors Bryan Stevenson, a drum major for justice and mercy.”

Under his leadership, the Equal Justice Initiative has achieved major legal successes including winning reversals, relief, or release for over 125 wrongly condemned prisoners on death row. His many awards include a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and the ACLU National Medal of Liberty. Mr. Stevenson’s book Just Mercy: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration (2014) won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction in 2015 and was named one of Time magazine’s 10 best books nonfiction books of 2014. He has led a life of advocacy, promoting awareness of injustices, while also remaining near to and supportive of those whose lives have been most deeply impacted by such injustices.

In 1906, the United States Congress authorized a commemorative medal to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin. The first medal was presented "under the direction of the President of the United States" to the Republic of France. In recognition of its founder, subsequent medals were given to the American Philosophical Society for its use. In 1987, the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Public Service was established to honor exceptional contributions to the general welfare. In 1993, when the Thomas Jefferson Medal was authorized by Congress, the Benjamin Franklin Medal was designated for recognition of distinguished achievement in the sciences. The medal is the Society's highest award for distinguished public service and the sciences.

The selection committee members were the Society’s President Linda Greenhouse, Vice Presidents Elizabeth Cropper, Rowena Matthews, and Warren Washington, Council members representing Class 5 Patricia Graham, David Tatel, and Werner Gundersheimer, and Executive Officer Robert M. Hauser.

The prize was presented to Kiran Musunuru at the American Philosophical Society 2018 November Meeting, in recognition of his work discovering and therapeutically targeting cardiovascular disease genes.

Dr. Musunuru has discovered and characterized novel genes involved in coronary artery disease, including SORT1 and ANGPTL3. He has also pioneered the use of genome-editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 to study these genes in human stem cells and to develop one-shot “vaccinations” against cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.

Dr. Musunuru has pioneered the use of genome-editing tools to probe the mechanisms of disease. His laboratory was the first: to develop an efficient platform to use genome-editing tools to genetically modify human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and use differentiated isogenic hPSCs for disease modeling; to demonstrate the superior efficacy of CRISPR-Cas9 to previous types of genome-editing tools, as well as the favorable off-target mutagenesis profile of CRISPR-Cas9; to demonstrate the high degree of efficacy of CRISPR-Cas9 in living mammals in vivo; to demonstrate the efficacy of CRISPR-Cas9 in human cells in vivo; and to demonstrate the high degree of efficacy of “base editing” (a newer, safer form of genome editing) in living mammals in vivo. He has used CRISPR-Cas9 and other genome-editing tools to study a variety of disease-related genes – including SORT1 and ANGPTL3 – in hPSC models and mouse models, gaining crucial insights into their functions. The approaches demonstrated in his laboratory are now used by many laboratories to study a wide variety of diseases.

Dr. Musunuru received a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at Rockefeller University, an M.D. at Weill-Cornell Medical College, and a Master of Public Health in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is an Associate Professor in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

The prize is named for Dr. Judson Daland, born in 1860, a prominent Philadelphia physician and outstanding figure in medical research who left the bulk of his estate to the Society to support research in clinical medicine. The prize recognizes outstanding achievement in clinical investigation, particularly patient-oriented research.

The selection committee consisted of Clyde F. Barker (Chair), Donald Guthrie Professor of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania; Lawrence H. Einhorn, Distinguished Professor, Livestrong Foundation Professor of Oncology, Professor of Medicine, Indiana University; Ronald M. Fairman, The Clyde F. Barker - William Maul Measey Professor of Surgery, Chief of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Vice-Chairman for Clinical Affairs, Department of Surgery, Professor of Surgery in Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; and John N. Loeb, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Columbia University.

Hours of Operation

APS Administrative Offices are generally open Monday–Friday.

The Library Reading Room is open by appointment only, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday. All visitors to the Library Reading Room must make an appointment through [email protected]. Please call us at 215-440-3400 with any questions. 

The APS Museum in Philosophical Hall is open April through December on Thursday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Any changes to operating hours will be posted on the museum page. 

APS Addresses

Philosophical Hall
Administrative Offices and Museum
104 South Fifth Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Library Hall
105 South Fifth Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Benjamin Franklin Hall
Auditorium
427 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Richardson Hall
Museum Offices
431 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106 
 

Getting to the APS by car

From the south: Taking I-95 north, follow signs for “Central Phila./I-676.” From I-676, exit south onto Sixth Street and follow signs to the Independence National Historic Park (INHP) area. The APS is located in INHP near the corner of Fifth and Chestnut Streets.

From the west: Exit from the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) at interchange 24 (the Schuylkill Expressway, I-76). Take the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) to the exit for I-676 “Central Philadelphia.” Take I-676 to the Eighth Street exit and follow the signs for Independence Hall and the INHP area. The APS is located in INHP near the corner of Fifth and Chestnut Streets.

From the north or east: Take the N.J. Turnpike to exit 4, Route 73. Take Route 73 north to Route 38. Take Route 38 west to US 30. Follow US 30 west over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and at the base of the bridge follow the signs for Sixth Street. Take Sixth Street south and follow signs to the INHP area. The APS is located in INHP near the corner of Fifth and Chestnut Streets.

Parking: There are several parking garages within a convenient distance from the APS. The Bourse Garage is the closest facility, at 4th and Ranstead Streets. Additionally, there are garages at the Independence Visitor Center and the National Constitution Center.

Getting to the APS by train

Philadelphia has an Amtrak station and is on the busy Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. Both Northeast Regional and Acela trains stop at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. In addition, the Keystone, an east-west Amtrak route, stops several times a day in Philadelphia.

Getting to the APS by bus

Many bus companies in the Northeast serve the Philadelphia area including Bolt Bus, Mega Bus, and Greyhound. Bolt Bus and Mega Bus arrive at 30th Street Station, which is a short ride away from the APS. The Greyhound station is between 12th and 13th Streets, just behind the Jefferson Station SEPTA stop.

Getting to the APS by public transit

SEPTA offers “regional rail” lines that connect the city and many of its Pennsylvania suburbs, and PATCO and NJ Transit offer similar services for many of the New Jersey suburbs. SEPTA also operates subways/elevated trains and trolleys throughout the city. The most convenient subway line to the APS is the Market-Frankford Blue Line, which connects 30th Street Station to Fifth and Market Street, one block north of the APS.

Getting to the APS by plane

The Philadelphia International Airport is 12 miles from the American Philosophical Society and is served by most major domestic and many international airlines. Philadelphia is a regional hub for American Airlines.

Ground Transportation from airport

The airport is connected to Philadelphia through a network of public transit, rental cars, taxis, and private car services. In addition, rideshare services can be booked for transport to and from the airport. More information on specific modes of transport can be found on the airport’s website.

The Jacques Barzun Prize in Cultural History was presented to Catherine Gallagher at the 2018 November Meeting of the American Philosophical Society in recognition of her book Telling It Like It Wasn't: The Counterfactual Imagination in History and Fiction.

Telling It Like It Wasn’t is a subtle and closely argued study of instances of counterfactual history in Europe and America, beginning with the moment, represented by the work of Leibniz, when imagining alternative pasts ceased to be a rhetorical exercise and became a way of thinking about the complexities of causality and real-time possibility. Professor Gallagher is fully aware of the paradoxical nature of her project – a history of an actual interest in unrealized history – and is not concerned to refute ‘reasonable’ criticisms of the counterfactual mode, only to show that its ‘long-term development and motivations might give us insight into our ways of making history meaningful’. This note is repeatedly and eloquently struck in the course of her book. ‘Historical entities’ are seen as ‘not only solid and substantial but also suspenseful and unsettled’. ‘Examining previous historical options’ may be ‘a way to escape cycles of repetition’. The connections among ‘science fiction, alternate history, and historical activism seem enduring not because they solve problems but because they destabilize solutions’. At one point history itself, at least in its political uses, becomes the ‘preservation of alternatives’, and ‘counterfactuality, far from being opposed to actual history, seems rather a crucial mode of imagining its vitality, consequences, and ongoing significance; it becomes actual history’s champion’.

From Leibniz’s positing ‘the actual as a subset (rather than the obverse) of the possible’ to the American ‘actualizing the future of an alternate past’ and the ‘peculiarly intense, complicated, multidimensional, and politically freighted’ fictions of postwar Britain, we see again and again how what ‘never happened’ can feel ‘very real’ – sometimes more real than what did happen. The result is not a case for confusing the real and the imaginary, or refusing to see the difference between them. It is a case for not occupying, as we so often do, an over-confident standpoint from which we can see neither clearly.

The Jacques Barzun Prize in Cultural History is awarded annually to the author whose book exhibits distinguished work in American or European cultural history. Established by a former student of Jacques Barzun, the prize honors this historian and cultural critic who was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1984.

The selection committee consisted of Michael Wood (Chair), Charles Barnwell Straut Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Princeton University; David Hollinger, Preston Hotchkis Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley; and Robert B. Pippin, Evelyn Stefansson Nef Distinguished Service Professor, Committee on Social Thought, Department of Philosophy, University of Chicago.

June 7-8, 2018

Conference papers can be found below.  You will be required to enter a password provided by conference organizers to access them. Please contact the APS at [email protected] if you are attending the conference but have not yet received the password.

Papers are not to be cited or circulated without the written permission of the author.

Panel 1: Knowledge Networks

"Mr. Jefferson, Hispanophile: Thomas Jefferson and Spanish Imperial Geography"
Matthew Franco, College of William and Mary

"Lost in Translation: David Bailie Warden and the Limits to Franco-Jeffersonian Cultural Exchange"
Joseph Eaton, National Chengchi University

"Enlightened Networks: Thomas Jefferson's System for Working from Home"
Diane Ehrenpreis and Endrina Tay, Monticello

Comment: Barbara Oberg, Princeton University

Panel 2: Institutions of Knowledge

"A Useful Cabinet: Collecting and Circulating Objects at the American Philosophical Society"
Reed Gochberg, Harvard University

"The American Philosophical Society, 1743-1746: From Founding to Failure"
Paul Sivitz, Idaho State University

"Every Child a Philosopher: The Science of Education and the Teaching of Arithmetic in the Early Republic"
Timothy Minella, Villanova University

Comment: Babak Ashrafi, Consortium for History of Science, Technology, and Medicine

Panel 3: Science and Religion in Jefferson’s America

Sponsored by the  Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania

“Enlightened Judaism: Transatlantic Intellectualism & Polite Sociability in Eighteenth-Century Pennsylvania"
Jonathon Awtrey, Louisiana State University

"Vis Medicatrix: Medical Vitalism and Religious Infidelity in the Age of Jefferson”
Kirsten Fischer, University of Minnesota

"On the Margins: Christian Rabbinic Scholarship in 18th-Century America”
Arthur Kiron, University of Pennsylvania

Comment by: Kyle Roberts, Loyola University Chicago

Panel 4: Useful Knowledge

"Thomas Jefferson, Military Technology, and the State"
Andrew Fagal, Princeton University

"Design by 'considerable degree': Jefferson's Architecture as Applied Science"
Danielle Willkens, Auburn University

"Thomas Jefferson, Inoculation, and the Norfolk Riots"
Andrew Wehrman, Central Michigan University

Comment: J. Jefferson Looney, Daniel P. Jordan Editor of The Papers of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello

Panel 5: Negotiating Knowledge

"André Michaux, Thomas Jefferson, and the 'Injunction of Science'"
Elizabeth Hyde, Kean University

"Containing the Flow of Animal Magnetism: Franklin, Jefferson, and the Mesmer Report"
Philipp Ziesche, Yale University

"Thomas Jefferson's Audiences: Charles Thomson and the Transformation of Notes on the State of Virginia"
Cara Rogers, Rice University

Comment: Richard Shiffrin, Indiana University

2018 Spring General Meeting
Laurence H. Tribe

The recipient of the American Philosophical Society’s 2018 Henry Allen Moe Prize in the Humanities is Laurence H. Tribe in recognition of his paper “Reflections on the ‘Natural Born Citizen’ Clause as Illuminated by the Cruz Candidacy” presented at the Society’s 2016 April Meeting and printed in the June 2017 Proceedings.  Laurence Tribe is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor and Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School.  

Laurence Tribe’s compelling argument confronts the fact that the Supreme Court has never ruled on whether being a citizen at birth by grace of federal statutes is sufficient to establish “natural born” citizenship. While considering the problems raised by Senator Ted Cruz’s birth status and his qualification (or not) to hold the presidency, Tribe unpacks the considerable intricacies of the technical interpretation of the “Natural Born Citizen” Clause in Article II of the Constitution, as well as the broader problem of what its provisions might be reasonably construed to suggest. It is not only Cruz’s own originalist methodology that would stand in the way of his candidacy; even for those who reject originalism, the difference between “natural born” and “naturalized” cannot be ignored. The paper not only faces matters of immediate political urgency that could lead to a constitutional crisis, but also ones of long-term importance to the whole citizen body that reflect on the values that we place on all citizens, “naturalized” or not. These arguments have immense significance for our future as a nation of immigrants. The questions raised are sometimes ones of rebarbative complexity, yet they are always set out with precision and clarity. Laurence Tribe’s essay is remarkable for its clarity, its scholarship, its quietly subversive humor, its learned and respectful critique of “originalists,” and its articulation of the significance of the clause against a backdrop of the nation’s continuing aspiration for greater equality of its citizens. It demonstrates in an understated yet eloquent way that jurisprudence has a place among the humanities.

The prize was established in 1982 by a gift from the widow of Henry Allen Moe, to honor the longtime head of the Guggenheim Foundation and president of the American Philosophical Society from 1959 to 1970. It pays particular tribute to his firm commitment to the humanities and those who pursue them.  The prize is awarded annually to the author of a paper in the humanities or jurisprudence read at a meeting of the Society.  

Members of the selection committee were Elizabeth Cropper (chair), Dean, Center for Advanced Study in the  Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art; Michael McCormick, Goelet Professor of Medieval History, Harvard University; Brent Shaw, Andrew Fleming West Professor of Classics, Princeton University.