This award recognizes one or more individuals for extraordinary public service, in the fine tradition of Elliot Richardson, who served as a beacon of integrity and commitment to the public service. Richardson was a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and served in four Cabinet-level positions in the U.S. government, including Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, and Secretary of Commerce.
Shortly, after his death on December 31, 1999, several friends and admirers of this exceptional public servant decided to establish a prize in honor of his memory. The bylaws of the Prize specify that the Richardson Prize is to be awarded to individuals "possessing the public service virtues exemplified by Elliot L. Richardson." Moreover, they state that such individuals "shall have demonstrated achievement, be significantly advancing the public good, and long-term dedication to public service, by serving the public interest in a public service capacity." Additionally, the bylaws state that individuals selected to receive the Richardson Prize "shall have demonstrated generosity of spirit, thoughtfulness in the pursuit of excellence in government, courage and integrity."
Since 2010, the National Academy of Public Administration has been home to the Prize. Several of the past Prize recipients have been Fellows or Honorary Fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration. Previous recipients of this distinguished award have been the following: Colin Powell, Alice Rivlin, George Shultz, Norman Mineta, Sandra Day O’Connor, Lee Hamilton, Tom Kean, James Baker, George Mitchell, Robert Gates, Sheila Colleen Bair, Paul Volcker, Jr., John Koskinen, William D. Ruckelshaus, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Leon Panetta, Edmund G. Brown, Jr., Dr. Francis Collins, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Adm. Thad Allen, and David Beasley.
The Directors of the Elliot Richardson Prize fund have established an award of $50,000. If more than one individual is selected, the award is divided equally among those chosen. Consistent with the public spiritedness of Elliot Richardson, recipients of the award are required to designate one or more charities to receive half of the prize awarded.
Please accompany your nomination with a short (not to exceed one page) justification for how this nominee qualifies for this prestigious prize.
The deadline for nominations is March 31, 2025.