Spingarn Medal

The award was created in 1914 by Joel Elias Spingarn, chairman of the board of directors of the NAACP. It was first awarded to biologist Ernest E. Just in 1915, and has been given most years thereafter.

At its annual convention, the NAACP presents the award after deciding from open nominations. Should the organization end, it would be managed by Howard or Fisk Universities. The gold medal is valued at $100, and Spingarn left $20,000 (equivalent to $438,000 in 2023) in his will for the NAACP to continue giving it indefinitely.

List of recipients

Year	Picture	Name	Rationale
1915		Ernest E. Just	"Head of Physiology, Howard University Medical School for research in biology."
1916		Charles Young	"Services in organizing the Liberian Constabulary and roads in the Republic of Liberia."
1917		Harry T. Burleigh	"Excellence in the field of creative music."
1918		William Stanley Braithwaite	"Distinguished achievements in literature."
1919		Archibald H. Grimké	"U.S. Consul in Santo Domingo; President of American Negro Academy; for seventy years of distinguished service to his race and country."
1920		William Edward Burghardt (W. E. B.) DuBois	"Author, Editor Crisis Magazine; founding and calling of Pan-African Congress."
1921		Charles S. Gilpin	"Notable performance in the title role of The Emperor Jones and for excellence as an actor."
1922		Mary B. Talbert	"Former President of the National Association of Colored Women and for continued service to women of color."
1923		George Washington Carver	"Head of Department of Research and Director of the Experiment Station of Tuskegee Inst. For researching Agricultural Chemistry."
1924		Roland Hayes	"Singer; for artistry through interpreting Negro folk song; soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra."
1925		James Weldon Johnson	"Former U.S. Consul in Venezuela and Nicaragua; former editor and secretary of NAACP."
1926		Carter G. Woodson	"Historian and Founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History; editor, Negro Orators and Their Orations for his outstanding work as an historian."
1927		Anthony Overton	"President of Victory Life Insurance Company, the first black company certified by the state of New York."
1928		Charles W. Chesnutt	"Author; for his pioneer work as a literary artist, depicting the life and struggle of Americans of Negro descent."
1929		Mordecai Wyatt Johnson	"President of Howard University. For distinguished leadership as first black president."
1930		Henry Hunt	"Principal of the Fort Valley High and Industrial School, Fort Valley, GA. For twenty-five years of service in the education of black students."
1931		Richard Berry Harrison	"For his fine and reverent characterization of the Lord in Marc Connelly's Play – The Green Pastures."
1932		Robert Russa Moton	"Principal of the Tuskegee Institute. For excellent leadership and service in the field of education."
1933		Max Yergan	"American Y.M.C.A. Secretary; missionary of intelligence, tact and self-sacrifice. For the excellence of his work in Africa."
1934		William Taylor Burwell Williams	"Dean of Tuskegee Institute, long service as field agent of the Slater and Jeanes Funds and the General Education Board."
1935		Mary McLeod Bethune	"Founder and President of Bethune Cookman College. For outstanding leadership and service to education."
1936		John Hope (awarded posthumously)	"President of Atlanta University; distinguished leader of his race."
1937		Walter White	"Executive Secretary of NAACP. For his personal investigation of more than forty-one lynchings."
1938	No award given
1939		Marian Anderson	"Chosen for her special achievement in music."
1940		Louis T. Wright	"Surgeon; chosen for his contribution to the healing of mankind and for his courageous position in the face of bitter attack."
1941		Richard Wright	"Author; Uncle Tom's Children and Native Son. For his outstanding contributions to literature."
1942		A. Philip Randolph	"International President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. For his role in securing the presidential order to establish the FEPC in 1941."
1943		William H. Hastie	"Jurist and Educator; chosen for his distinguished career as a jurist and uncompromising champion of equal justice."
1944		Charles Drew	"Scientist; chosen for his outstanding work in blood plasma; research led to establishment of blood plasma bank."
1945		Paul Robeson	"Singer and Actor chosen for distinguished achievement in the theatre and concert stage."
1946		Thurgood Marshall	"Special Counsel for NAACP. For distinguished service as a lawyer before the U.S. Supreme Court."
1947		Dr. Percy Julian	"Research Chemist chosen for many important discoveries that have saved many lives."
1948		Channing H. Tobias	"In recognition of his consistent role as a defender of fundamental American liberties."
1949		Ralph J. Bunche	"International civil servant; acting UN mediator in Palestine. For singular service to the United Nations."
1950		Charles Hamilton Houston	"Chairman, NAACP Legal Committee and stalwart defender of democracy."
1951		Mabel Keaton Staupers	"Leader of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses."
1952		Harry T. Moore	"NAACP leader in the state of Florida and a martyr in the crusade for freedom."
1953		Paul R. Williams	"Distinguished architect, for his pioneer contributions as a creative designer of livable, attractive modern dwellings."
1954		Theodore K. Lawless	"Physician, educator and philanthropist. For pioneering achievements in dermatology."
1955		Carl J. Murphy	"Dedicated editor, publisher and farsighted civic leader."
1956		Jack Roosevelt Robinson	"Brilliant and versatile athlete; for superb sportsmanship and for his singular role in athletics."
1957		Martin Luther King, Jr.	"Dedicated and selfless clergyman; for leadership role in the Montgomery bus protest movement."
1958		Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine	"For their pioneer role in upholding the basic ideals of American democracy in the face of continuing harassment and constant threats of bodily injury."
1959		Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington	"Composer and orchestra leader. For outstanding and unique musical achievements."
1960		Langston Hughes	"Poet, author and playwright."
1961		Kenneth B. Clark	"Professor of Psychology at the College of the City of New York; founder/director of the Northside Center for Child Development. For his dedicated service and inspired research in the field of psychology."
1962		Robert C. Weaver	"Administrator, Housing and Home Finance Agency; for his long years of dedicated public service at municipal, state and federal levels."
1963		Medgar Wiley Evers	"NAACP field secretary for the state of Mississippi. For his dedication and steadfast courage in the face of continued death threats."
1964		Roy Wilkins	"Executive Director, NAACP. For his leadership, integrity and his dedicated service."
1965		Leontyne Price	"Metropolitan Opera star, in recognition of her divinely inspired talent."
1966		John H. Johnson	"Founder/President of the Johnson Publishing Company of Chicago."
1967		Edward W. Brooke, III	"First African American to win popular election to the United States Senate since Reconstruction."
1968		Sammy Davis, Jr.	"Broadway/Hollywood star and civil rights activist."
1969		Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr.	"Director, Washington Bureau, NAACP and civil rights lobbyist. For his pivotal role in the enactment of civil rights legislation."
1970		Jacob Lawrence	"Artist, teacher and humanitarian."
1971		Leon Howard Sullivan	"Clergyman, activist and prophet."
1972		Gordon Parks	"In recognition of his unique creativity, as exemplified by his outstanding achievements as photographer, writer, film maker and composer."
1973		Wilson C. Riles	"Educator, in recognition of the stature he has attained as a national leader in the field of education."
1974		Damon J. Keith	"Jurist; in tribute to his steadfast defense of constitutional principles."
1975	No award given
1976		Hank Aaron	"Athlete, in recognition of his singular achievement in the sport which symbolizes America – baseball; his impressive home run record."
1977		Alvin Ailey	"Innovative dancer, choreographer and artistic director."
1977		Alex Haley	"Author, biographer and lecturer; exhaustive research and literary skill combined in Roots."
1978	No award given
1979		Andrew Young	"Minister plenipotentiary and extraordinary United States Ambassador to the United Nations."
1979		Rosa L. Parks	"In recognition to the quiet courage and determination exemplified when she refused to surrender her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus."
1980		Rayford W. Logan	"Educator, historian, author for his prodigious efforts to set before the world the black American's continuing struggle against oppression."
1981		Coleman Alexander Young	"Mayor, City of Detroit; public servant, labor leader."
1982		Benjamin Elijah Mays	"Educator, theologian and humanitarian."
1983		Lena Horne	"Artist humanitarian and living symbol of excellence."
1984	No award given
1985		Tom Bradley	"Government executive, public servant, humanist; Mayor of Los Angeles for 20 years."
1985		Bill Cosby	"Humorist, artist, educator, family man and humanitarian."
1986		Benjamin Lawson Hooks	"Executive Director, NAACP. In tribute to his precedent-setting accomplishments."
1987		Percy Ellis Sutton	"Public servant, businessman, community leader."
1988		Frederick Douglass Patterson	"Educator, doctor of veterinary medicine, visionary and humanitarian."
1989		Jesse Louis Jackson	"Clergyman, political leader, civil rights activist; first American of African descent to become a major presidential candidate."
1990		Lawrence Douglas Wilder	"Governor, public servant, attorney and visionary in tribute to an extraordinary life of accomplishment."
1991		Colin L. Powell	"General of the U.S. Army, 12th Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Department of Defense."
1992		Barbara Jordan	"Lawyer, educator, political leader and stateswoman."
1993		Dorothy Irene Height	"National Council of Negro Women; National YWCA; The Center for Radical Justice; President, Delta Sigma Theta sorority. For extraordinary leadership in advancing women’s rights."
1994		Maya Angelou	"Poet, author, actress, playwright, producer, educator and historian."
1995		John Hope Franklin	"Historian, scholar and educator; in recognition of an unrelenting quest for truth and the enlightenment of Western Civilization."
1996		A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr.	"Jurist, Scholar, teacher and humanitarian; in honor of a distinguished jurist who emerged a giant of jurisprudence during a three-decade tenure as the nation’s longest serving active Federal Judge."
1997		Carl T. Rowan	"Journalist, publicist, civic leader and public servant."
1998		Myrlie Evers-Williams	"Civil rights activist, risk-taker, mother, true believer."
1999		Earl G. Graves, Sr.	"Founder, Black Enterprise Magazine; Businessman, publisher, educator, advocate, entrepreneur, family man."
2000		Oprah Winfrey	"Actress, producer, educator, publisher and humanitarian."
2001		Vernon E. Jordan	"Lawyer, Advisor to Presidents, Champion of Civil Rights and Human Rights, Exemplar and True Believer."
2002		John Lewis	"Public servant, protector of civil and human rights, community leader and inspirer of youth."
2003		Constance Baker Motley	"Civil rights pioneer, jurist, public official, for her commitment and pursuit of the goal of equal opportunity and justice for all Americans."
2004		Robert L. Carter	"Attorney, educator, federal judge and guardian of civil rights; for his extraordinary achievement of winning twenty-one cases argued before the Supreme Court."
2005		Oliver W. Hill	"For his key role in the United States Supreme Court Case, Brown v. Board; for his determined, quiet and persistent pursuit of justice."
2006		Benjamin S. Carson, Sr.	"In tribute to a lifetime of growth and singular achievement, from the bottom of his fifth grade class, to become the youngest ever Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery in the United States."
2007		John Conyers, Jr.	"Guardian of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, consummate legislator and public servant."
2008		Ruby Dee	"Actress, poet, playwright and civil rights activist"
2009		Julian Bond	"Former Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors and legendary civil rights activist"
2010		Cicely Tyson	"Actress and civil rights activist"
2011		Frankie Muse Freeman	"Attorney and civil rights activist."
2012		Harry Belafonte	"Singer, song writer, actor and social activist."
2013		Jessye Norman	"Opera singer, Grammy Award winner."
2014		Quincy Jones	"Composer, Producer, Grammy Award winner."
2015		Sidney Poitier	"Actor and Social activist, Oscar Winner."
2016		Nathaniel R. Jones	"Lawyer, Jurist, Academic and Public Servant"
2018		Willie L. Brown	Former mayor of San Francisco and former speaker of the California Assembly
2019		Patrick Gaspard	a lifelong community activist, a former American diplomat, and the current president of the Center for American Progress
2021		Cato T. Laurencin	Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor at the University of Connecticut NAACP recognizes Dr. Laurencin's seminal and singular accomplishments in tissue regeneration, biomaterials science, nanotechnology, and regenerative engineering, a field he founded. His exceptional career has made him the foremost engineer-physician-scientist in the world. His breakthrough achievements have resulted in transformative advances in improving human life. His fundamental contributions to materials science and engineering include introducing nanotechnology into the biomaterials field for regeneration.
2022		Jim Clyburn	House Majority Whip
2023		Hazel Dukes	8th National President of the NAACP

Notes

Footnotes

Spingarn Medal

List of recipients

Notes

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