Grinnell Invites Nominations for Harry Hopkins Medal
Nominations are due Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at 5 p.m. Central Time.
As Grinnell College prepares to mark its 180th anniversary during the 2026–27 academic year, the College is inviting nominations for the Harry Hopkins Medal, honoring an individual whose public and civil service has advanced the common good and human dignity.
The medal recognizes a living person whose life and career reflect a commitment to public service and whose work has had a significant national impact. The recipient may currently hold public office or be retired and does not need to be a Grinnell College graduate.
“As we celebrate Grinnell’s 180th year in Iowa and remember the generations of Grinnellians who have given their lives to public service, awarding the Harry Hopkins Medal to an outstanding individual whose exceptional service has contributed to the common good is an opportunity for us to learn from the past as we find our own ways to contribute to the common good today and into the future,” said President Anne F. Harris.
Honoring a legacy of service
Harry Lloyd Hopkins, Grinnell Class of 1912, served as a key adviser to Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman during periods of profound national and international crisis.
During the Great Depression, Hopkins helped shape the New Deal around a commitment to human dignity. As head of the Works Progress Administration, he oversaw a program that provided 8.5 million people with jobs building highways, streets, bridges, parks, and other projects designed to provide lasting value to communities.
Working with Grinnell classmate Hallie Flanagan, Class of 1911, Hopkins also helped the WPA create employment opportunities for artists, writers, actors, and musicians throughout the country.
The 2026–27 academic year marks both the 180th anniversary of Grinnell's founding and 100 years since Hopkins' death, providing an opportunity for the College to revisit and celebrate his legacy of public service.
A history of honoring public service
The Harry Hopkins Medal has previously been awarded to several prominent figures in American public life:
1988: Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr.
1990: Ambassador Sol Linowitz
1992: U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop
1995: Rep. Neal Smith
2000: Senator George J. Mitchell
The 2026 recipient will receive the Harry Hopkins Medal and will be invited to deliver an honorary lecture at Grinnell College (with an honorarium).
Who can be nominated?
The medal is open to any living individual, regardless of whether they are a Grinnell alum, who meets the criteria for significant achievement in public and civil service.
Nominees may be currently serving in public office or retired. The individual must be a figure of national impact whose work demonstrates a commitment to advancing both the common good and human dignity.
How the recipient will be selected
The recipient will be chosen by a selection committee of faculty, staff, and students chaired by President Harris.
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. Central Time on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 and can be submitted via this Qualtrics Form. Questions about the nomination process may be directed to president@grinnell.edu.