The Phi Beta Kappa Society Presents the President’s Award and John Hope Franklin Award at 45th Triennial Council
Phi Beta Kappa 9th Secretary and President Emerita honored with National Phi Beta Kappa Awards.
WASHINGTON, DC, August 3, 2018 — The Phi Beta Kappa Society presented the Society’s President’s Award to ΦBK Secretary Emeritus John Churchill on August 3 at the Society’s 45th Triennial Council in Boston, Massachusetts. At the this national convening of delegates representing the Phi Beta Kappa chapters and associations, the Society also presented its John Hope Franklin Award to ΦBK President Emerita Kate R. Soule.
The President’s Award
The Phi Beta Kappa President’s Award, commemorated with the presentation of the Judith F. Krug Medal, is given in recognition of truly outstanding and extraordinary service to Phi Beta Kappa as a national organization.
John Churchill was appointed as the 9th Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society in 2001, and retired in May 2016 after fifteen years of dedicated service. During his tenure, he oversaw the creation of the National Arts and Sciences Initiative and the Secretary’s Circle major donor program. He also strengthened support for chapter and association officers, saw the Society successfully through two economic recessions, and established long-lasting relationships with peer organizations.
Prior to arriving at Phi Beta Kappa, Churchill was the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College, and professor of philosophy at Hendrix College. He was a Danforth Foundation Associate, a Program Review Panelist for the National Endowment for the Humanities, a Consultant and Team Chair for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and President of the National Humanities Alliance.
The John Hope Franklin Award
The John Hope Franklin Award, created by the Phi Beta Kappa Senate in 2011 in honor of distinguished historian, author and 18th President of Phi Beta Kappa, John Hope Franklin, recognizes individuals for exemplary long-standing service to the Society.
Kate R. Soule, Director of Arts & Sciences Finance and Research at Dartmouth College, served as a Phi Beta Kappa Senator from 2006 to 2018; she was Vice President from 2009 to 2012 and President from 2012 to 2015. While President, she traveled with the National Arts and Sciences Initiative across the country to present the Key of Excellence award to programs highlighting the excellence, range, and relevance of the arts and sciences to their communities. She is also an association officer with the New England Association and a chapter officer at Dartmouth College.
About The Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society, founded on Dec. 5, 1776, is the nation's most prestigious academic honor society. It has chapters at 286 colleges and universities in the United States, nearly 50 alumni associations, and more than half a million members worldwide. Noteworthy members include 17 U.S. Presidents, 40 U.S. Supreme Court Justices and more than 140 Nobel Laureates. The mission of the Phi Beta Kappa Society is to champion education in the liberal arts and sciences, foster freedom of thought, and recognize academic excellence.
About the President’s Award
The Phi Beta Kappa President’s Award, created in 2009, is given to an individual in recognition of truly outstanding and extraordinary service to the national organization. It is generally awarded every three years at the Triennial Council meeting. The award is commemorated by the presentation of the Judith F. Krug Medal, named after former Phi Beta Kappa Senate Vice President Judith F. Krug, a passionate activist in defense of the right to free speech and against censorship.
About the John Hope Franklin Award
The John Hope Franklin Award, created in 2011, recognizes individuals for exemplary, long-standing service to The Phi Beta Kappa Society. The award, generally given every three years at the Triennial Council meeting, is named after John Hope Franklin, a distinguished historian, 1995 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and former President of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
For more information about The Phi Beta Kappa Society, visit www.pbk.org.