Jon Meacham
The National Institute of Social Sciences is delighted to announce Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, historian, and writer, as one of the 2026 Honorees for its Gold Honor Medal for distinguished service to society and humanity.
The National Institute will celebrate Mr. Meacham and our other Honorees at the 112th Annual Gold Medal Gala, which will be held in person in New York City on Tuesday, December 8, 2026. We hope you will be able to join us to honor Mr. Meacham and our other extraordinary Honorees and their accomplishments.
Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer, historian, book author, journalist, and editor. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle; The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels; Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power; American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House; Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship; Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush; and His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope. A former executive editor and executive vice president at Random House, he is a contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review, a contributing editor to Time magazine, and a former editor-in-chief of Newsweek.
Mr. Meacham holds the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Chair in the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University. Chosen to be the Canon Historian of Washington National Cathedral in 2021, Meacham is a fellow of the Society of American Historians and a recipient of the National Humanities Medal.
Mr. Meacham graduated salutatorian and summa cum laude from Sewanee: The University of the South in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Previous Gold Medal Honorees, 1913-2025
About the National Institute of Social Sciences
Established in 1912, the National Institute of Social Sciences is a voluntary association of public-spirited citizens who explore issues of urgent and lasting concern. One of the nation’s oldest honorary societies, the National Institute sponsors speeches, discussions, and events that encourage balanced, non-partisan debate and discussion; celebrates distinguished Americans and world leaders who have contributed at the highest level to the welfare and improvement of society; and provides financial support to emerging scholars who are conducting research in the social sciences.