Wilson School dean Anne-Marie Slaughter '80 will be the 31st recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Medal in Law, a press release from the University of Virginia said yesterday.
"It's an honor to receive this award and it's a particular honor for me because I grew up in Charlottesville," Slaughter said in an interview. "I'm privileged to be able to share this experience with my family, in the state where I grew up."
The Jefferson Medal is the most prestigious distinction awarded by the University of Virginia, which does not confer honorary degrees, out of deference to the wishes of Jefferson, its founder.
"Dean Slaughter was selected because she is one of the great legal minds of the day who personifies the Jeffersonian ideals," University of Virginia spokeswoman Carol Wood said in an email. "She is a scholar, an educator and a visionary leader in her field."
"These medals are the highest honor we give to people outside our university community — to honor their contributions to their field of endeavor, as well as to society," she added.
Past recipients of the Jefferson Medal in Law include Supreme Court justices Warren Burger, Sandra Day O'Connor, William Rehnquist and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The first Medal was bestowed in 1977.
Slaughter said she was thrilled to find herself in such distinguished company, placing particular emphasis on her admiration for Thomas Jefferson, whose writings and ideals inform the criteria for selecting Medal recipients.
"You cannot grow up in Charlottesville without being influenced by Jefferson," Slaughter said. "I've felt Jefferson's influence since kindergarten. He was an extraordinary man — a flawed man, but still extraordinary — and so it means a great deal to me to be receiving an award in his name."
At the University of Virginia this April 13, the University's Founder's Day, Slaughter will join Alan Greenspan, who has been awarded the inaugural Jefferson Medal in Citizen Leadership, and Zaha Hadid, who is set to receive the 42nd Jefferson Medal in Architecture. Each will give a lecture, participate in a public discussion and attend evening ceremonies.
The awards are meant to provide "an opportunity to recognize achievements of those who embrace endeavors that Jefferson himself excelled in and held in high regard," University of Virginia president John T. Casteen III said in the press release.
The medals are jointly sponsored by the University of Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and maintains Jefferson's Monticello estate.
Read More
Joseph ’25 next Young Alumni Trustee in 21 percent turnout election
Vitus LarrieuGil Joseph ’25 won the Young Alumni Trustee election, which saw 21 percent turnout. Joseph, Stephen Padlo ’25 and Ben Wachspress ’25 competed in the final round of elections after advancing from a notably large primary in April.
Gil Joseph ’25 won the Young Alumni Trustee election, which saw 21 percent turnout. Joseph, Stephen Padlo ’25 and Ben Wachspress ’25 competed in the final round of elections after advancing from a notably large primary in April.
‘A brilliant young contemporary writer and a beautiful human being’: Remembering Lauren Blackburn ’26
Victoria Davies and Caitlyn TabladaBlackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”
Blackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”
GSG approves audit, delays budget approval after ‘insufferable’ meeting
Nikki HanThe final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
The final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.