William T. Golden Receives 2001 Scholar-Patriot Award
The Award was announced at the Academy's 1845th Stated Meeting,
"Challenges in a New Century: The Engaged Intellectual," which took
place in New York on March 19th, 2001.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences presented its 2001
Scholar-Patriot Distinguished Service Award to William T. Golden, a prime
architect of US science policy.
In a New York ceremony, the Academy honored Golden, 91, for his
role in creating the National Science Foundation and the President's Science
Advisory Committee, as well as for his leadership of the American Museum of
Natural History and other major civic organizations. "Through his wise
counsel and visionary leadership, Bill Golden has exerted tremendous influence
over the development of science policy in the post-World War II period, both
here and abroad," said James O. Freedman, President of the Academy.
"In more than 60 years of patriotic service to this country,
in and out of government, Bill has served as a leading example of what John
Adams and our other founders envisioned as the engaged intellectual,"
Freedman added.The Scholar-Patriot Award
is among the Academy's highest honors.According
to Chief Executive Officer Leslie C. Berlowitz, "The award honors individuals
who embody the Academy's 221-year-old commitment to promoting the arts and
sciences in the service of the community and the nation."Last
year's award went to Leo L. Beranek, a pioneer of modern acoustics and an early
contributor to the development of the Internet.
Golden's distinguished career of service to the nation began as a
naval officer during World War II, when he received several Letters of
Commendation for inventing an antiaircraft device. In 1950, President Truman
asked Golden to serve as an advisor to help mobilize the nation's scientific
resources. His recommendations, contained in what are now widely known as the Golden
Memoranda, established the foundation for a presidential science
advisory system and detailed a program for the National Science Foundation.
Golden co-authored and edited three books on science advising to the top levels
of government. His government work also included roles at the Atomic Energy
Commission, the Department of State, and the second Hoover Commission.
Golden has helped advance public support of both the sciences and
the humanities through a lifetime of service to many of the nation's leading
scientific, cultural, and educational organizations. In addition to his role as
the chair emeritus of the American Museum of Natural History, Golden has made
unparalleled contributions as a board member and trustee of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, Barnard College, the Central Park
Conservancy, Mount Sinai Medical Center, the National Humanities Center, and
the New York Academy of Sciences. In 1996, he received the Public Welfare
Medal, the highest honor accorded by the National Academy of Sciences.
In the citation presented to him by President Freedman and Academy
Fellow Margaret E. Mahoney, Golden was lauded for his lifetime of "energy,
generosity, and dedication to public life" and for serving as a "catalyst for
the ideas and institutions that forged a new bond between science and
government—a bond that endures to this day." The citation concluded
We honor your conviction that devoting one's life to public service,
to the world of learning, and to the great institutions of this country is the
best way to perpetuate a democratic and civil society. As the American Academy
embarks on its third century, we are honored to be the fortunate beneficiary of
your wisdom and guidance.
Today's event also marked the 1845th Stated Meeting of the Academy,
a tradition that dates back to the organization's Revolutionary War-era
founding. The meeting explored the theme "Challenges in a New Century: The
Engaged Intellectual." Speakers included Freedman, Carnegie
Corporation President Vartan Gregorian, Rockefeller Foundation President Gordon
Conway, and Chief Executive Officer Berlowitz. New York-area Fellows attending the
gathering also heard discussions of Academy studies on issues ranging from
universal basic and secondary education to a proposed joint US-Russian missile
data surveillance center to the social, cultural, and institutional forces that
have shaped today's humanistic disciplines.
Founded in 1780, the Academy today serves a dual function: to honor
leaders of exceptional achievement in every field and to conduct a varied
program of projects responsive to the needs and problems of society. Academy
studies bring together Fellows in different disciplines to engage emerging
public and intellectual issues. Past members have included George Washington,
Charles Darwin, and Albert Einstein. Fellows today include more than 160 Nobel
laureates and leaders from every discipline and profession.
For more information please call Phyllis Bendell at (617) 576-5047 or
email pbendell@amacad.org.
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