The University of Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello will present their highest honors, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals in architecture, law and citizen leadership, during Founder’s Day activities on April 13. The awards are presented jointly on April 13 – Jefferson’s birthday – by U.Va., which he founded in Charlottesville in 1819, and by the Foundation, the independent, nonprofit organization that owns and operates his home, Monticello.

This year’s recipients:

Rafael Moneo, a Spanish architect known for innovative modern buildings that respect  existing environments, will receive the 2012 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture.

George Mitchell, former U.S. senator and statesman who brokered a peace accord in Northern Ireland, will receive the 2012 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Law.

Jessica Tuchman Mathews, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, will receive the 2012 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals are the highest external honors bestowed by the University, which grants no honorary degrees. They recognize achievements of those who embrace endeavors in which Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third U.S. president, excelled and held in high regard.

«This year’s medal recipients have each in their own way made the world more beautiful, secure and environmentally safe through their hard work and scholarship,» U.Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan said. «The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals, now in their 46th year, celebrate these leaders, all of whom have dedicated their talents to the public good.»

«Thomas Jefferson’s continuous quest for knowledge and the breadth of his curiosity and intellect inspired a young nation,» said Leslie Greene Bowman, president and CEO of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.  «The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals honor those who, like Jefferson, have the courage to aspire to greatness, the conviction to encourage change, and the ability to inspire future generations.»

The medals, struck for the occasion, will be presented by Bowman and Sullivan at a luncheon in the Dome Room of the Rotunda. The recipients will be honored at a dinner at Monticello on April 12, and each will give a public talk.

Site: Monticello org

Title: Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals
Place: University of Virginia
City: Virginia
Country: United States of America
Fecha: 13  april  2012