Benjamin Franklin Medal

The RSA Benjamin Franklin Medal was instituted in 1956 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth and the 200th anniversary of his membership of the Royal Society of Arts (or RSA).

Related Topics:
Benjamin Franklin - Royal Society of Arts

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The Medal is conferred by the RSA on individuals, groups and organisations who have made profound efforts to forward Anglo-American understanding in areas closely linked to the RSA's agenda. It is also awarded to recognise those that have made a significant contribution to global affairs through co-operation and collaboration between the United States and the United Kingdom.

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The Medal is awarded annually, alternately to citizens of the United States and the United Kingdom.

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• 1957 Professor Frederic C Williams OBE DSc MIEE FRS Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Manchester
• 1958 Peter Ustinov Actor, producer, director, playwright
• 1959 H G Nelson MA MICE MIMechE MIEE Managing Director of The English Electric Company Limited
• 1960 Robert Nicholson FSIA Exhibition and interior designer
• 1961 Alick Dick Chairman and Managing Director of Standard-Triumph International Limited
• 1962 The Lord Rootes GBE Joint founder of the Rootes Group
• 1963 John Hay Whitney American diplomatist and publisher
• 1964 Sir Evelyn Wrench KCMG Founder of the English-Speaking Union and of the Overseas League
• 1965 Paul Mellon American business and foundation executive
• 1966 Sir Denis Brogan D-es Lettres LLD Writer on United States affairs
• 1967 Dr Detlev W Bronk President of the Rockefeller University
• 1968 Peter Wilson Chairman of Sotherby & Company
• 1969 Dr Louis Booker Wright PhD Dlitt LHD Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC
• 1970 Sir Denning Pearson Chief Executive and Chairman of Rolls Royce Limited
• 1971 David Bruce Diplomat
• 1972 Sir William Walton OM Composer
• 1973 Alistair Cooke Writer and journalist
• 1974 Dame Margot Fonteyn Arias DBE Prima ballerina
• 1975 Wilmarth Sheldon Lewis English scholar
• 1976 Rt Hon Harold Macmillan Statesman and publisher
• 1977 J William Fulbright Former United States Senator for Arkansas
• 1978 Dr Ivor Armstrong Richards Professor Emeritus of Harvard University
• 1979 Professor Henry-Russell Hitchcock Writer and lecturer on architectural history
• 1980 Sir Bernard Lovell OBE FRS Professor of Radio Astronomy, University of Manchester and Director of Jodrell Bank Experimental Station
• 1981 Lincoln Kirstein Director, School of American Ballet, New York City Ballet Company
• 1982 The Lord Sherfield GCB GCMG Diplomat
• 1983 Dr Lewis Mumford Writer and teacher on town and country planning
• 1984 The Lord Richardson of Duntisbourne Retired Governor of the Bank of England
• 1985 Harry L Hansen Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration
• 1986 Sir David Wills CBE TD DL Former Chairman of the Ditchley Foundation
• 1987 Kingman Brewster Diplomat
• 1988 Professor Esmond Wright English scholar
• 1989 Sam Wanamaker Actor, director and founder of Shakespeare?s Globe Theatre
• 1990 Sir David Attenborough Naturalist and broadcaster
• 1991 Edward Streator Diplomat
• 1993 Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown Architects
• 1994 Sir John Templeton Financial analyst and philanthropist
• 1995 The Honorable Raymond G H Seitz Diplomat
• 1996 Sir David Puttnam Film producer
• 1997 William R Hewlitt Co-Founder and Director Emeritus of Hewlett-Packard Company
• 1998 Sir Alex Trotman Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company
• 1999 Senator George J Mitchell Special Counsel and Chairman of the Peace Negotiations in Northern Ireland
• 2000 Dame Judi Dench Actress
• 2001 Ambassador Philip Lader Former US Ambassador to the Court of St James?s
• 2004 Jonathan Ive, Vice-President of Design, Apple Computers
• 2005 Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State