AHA President Vicki Ruiz, Distinguished Professor of History and Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of California, Irvine, and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Victor S. Thomas Professor of History and of African American Studies at Harvard University, were among 10 National Humanities Medalists awarded by President Obama. The medal “honors an individual or organization whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the human experience, broadened citizens’ engagement with history and literature, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to cultural resources.” In according this honor to long-time AHA member Prof. Ruiz and to Prof. Higginbotham, the White House recognizes the central role historians play in American public culture.
