USC Life Trustee Wallis Annenberg receives National Humanities Medal in White House ceremony

USC Life Trustee Wallis Annenberg on Monday received one of the nation’s highest honors, the National Humanities Medal, White House officials announced.

The medal “honors an individual or organization whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the human experience, broadened citizens’ engagement with history or literature, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to cultural resources,” the White House said in a statement.

Annenberg — chairman of the board, president and CEO of The Annenberg Foundation since 2009 — has directed support to a wide range of issues, including preservation and promotion of the arts, conservation, education, affordable housing, food insecurity, aging and longevity, access to health care, animal welfare and social justice.

Annenberg is USC’s longest-serving trustee. A $50 million gift from the foundation supported construction of Wallis Annenberg Hall, the home to the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism that opened in 2014. In 2017 she was presented USC’s prestigious University Medallion, awarded very selectively to those who have made major contributions to the university.

“Wallis is so deserving of this honor,” USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay said. “For decades, she has provided her unwavering support to USC. She has been our champion in so many ways, most especially as a lifelong advocate for the essential role journalism and communication play in bolstering our society and sustaining our democracy. She has inspired us all beyond measure.”

Wallis Annenberg: Philanthropy benefits thousands of organizations

Annenberg’s robust philanthropy has benefited more than 2,800 nonprofits and other organizations and special projects, including training for nonprofit leaders. Her commitment to building community space can be seen through the creation of the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace in Playa Vista; the Annenberg Community Beach House on the grounds of the former Marion Davies estate in Santa Monica; the innovative Universally Accessible Treehouse project in Torrance; and The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in the historic Beverly Hills Post Office.

Her philanthropy made possible the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the world’s largest urban wildlife crossing, being built in Agoura Hills to preserve and protect animals and ecosystems along the heavily trafficked 101 Freeway. Upon its completion, expected 2026, the wildlife bridge will revitalize local biodiversity and reconnect habitats in Southern California’s mountains and valleys.

The awards presented today at the White House were for 2022 and 2023. The 2022 medalists are Annenberg; community arts and programming center Appalshop; poet Joy Harjo; educator Robin Harris; writer Juan Felipe Herrera; higher education administrator Robert Martin; writer and historian Jon Meacham; academic administrator Ruth J. Simmons; and Pauline Yu, scholar of Chinese literature. The 2023 medalists are actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton, a Trojan and longtime USC supporter; cartoonist and author Roz Chast; Nicolás Kanellos, scholar and publisher of Hispanic literature; scholar and author Robin Wall Kimmerer; the Mellon Foundation; filmmaker Dawn Porter; playwright, screenwriter and director Aaron Sorkin; social justice philanthropist Darren Walker; anthropologist and cultural leader Rosita Worl; and the late chef and author Anthony Bourdain.

The first National Humanities Medal was awarded in 1996. Since then, 225 medals have been bestowed — 207 to individuals and 18 to organizations — including this year’s honorees.