The Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievement

The Lincoln Forum’s annual achievement award was established in 1996 and renamed in 1998 for founding advisor Richard Nelson Current, the dean of Lincoln scholars (October 5, 1912-October 26, 2012). The award has been given to the following individuals in acknowledgment of their contributions to the spirit of Lincoln in both word and deed.

2020 Current Award Recipient Stephen Lang with Jonathan W. White and Harold Holzer

2013 Current Award Recipient Tony Kushner with Harold Holzer and Frank Williams

  • 2023 Ronald C. White

  • 2022 Jon Meacham

    • Special award to Harold Hand

  • 2021 Gary W. Gallagher

    • Special awards to John Marszalek, Edna Greene Medford, and Craig L. Symonds 

  • 2020 Stephen Lang

  • 2019 Michael Beschloss

  • 2018 David W. Blight

  • 2017 Ron Chernow

  • 2016 James I. (Bud) Robertson, Jr.

  • 2015 William C. (Jack) Davis, Edward Steers Jr., and Harold Holzer

  • 2014 James Getty

  • 2013 Tony Kushner

  • 2012 Eric Foner

  • 2011 Ed Bearss

  • 2010 Mark E. Neely, Jr.

  • 2009 Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

  • 2008 Ken Burns

  • 2007 Jeff Shaara

  • 2006 Doris Kearns Goodwin and Chuck DeForest Platt

  • 2005 John McClarey and Frank J. Williams

  • 2004 John Y. Simon

  • 2003 Sam Waterston

  • 2002 James M. McPherson

  • 2001 Garry Wills

  • 2000 David Herbert Donald and Richard Nelson Current

  • 1999 Former U.S. Senator Paul Simon of Illinois

  • 1998 John Hope Franklin

  • 1997 Brian Lamb

  • 1996 Gabor S. Boritt

2002 Current Award recipient James M. McPherson