Records of Achievement Award

The Records of Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed by the National Archives Foundation to an individual whose contributions have fostered a broader national awareness of the history and heritage of the United States as exemplified in the National Archives’ records.

Previous recipients of the Foundation’s award include: David Grann, Martin Scorsese, Lily Gladstone, Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Michael Beschloss, Jon Meacham, First Lady Laura Bush, the late Cokie Roberts, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Ken Burns, David M. Rubenstein, the late John Hope Franklin, David McCullough, Tom Brokaw, Annette Gordon-Reed, Brian Lamb and C-SPAN, James McPherson, Robert Edsel, Taylor Branch, and the stars and creators of the Broadway musical “Hamilton” – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, and Ron Chernow.

Highlights of the celebration included a cocktail hour; theater program and award presentation; a seated dinner in the Rotunda and Rotunda Galleries – just steps away from the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights; and a dessert reception.

For more information about the Records of Achievement Award & Gala, email [email protected].

To learn more about some of our past recipients of the Records of Achievement Award, click on their name below.

The Heritage Award takes its name from the “Heritage” sculpture outside the National Archives Building and recognizes individuals, corporations, and organizations whose deeds are consistent with the Foundation’s mission of educating, enriching, and inspiring a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage. The Foundation’s Heritage Award was presented in 2012 to philanthropist Jacqueline B. Mars.