Ruth J. Simmons to receive Radcliffe Medal

Ruth J. Simmons.

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Campus & Community
Ruth J. Simmons to receive Radcliffe Medal

Recognized for her many roles upholding and advancing foundational ideals of higher education

March 18, 2026 2 min read

Harvard Radcliffe Institute will award the Radcliffe Medal to the renowned university leader and educator Ruth J. Simmons on Radcliffe Day, May 29.

Throughout her distinguished career, Simmons has modeled extraordinary and transformative leadership in higher education. A three-time university president who has shaped generations of students and scholars, Simmons has championed the power of education while calling on colleges and universities to uphold their foundational ideals and reckon honestly with their failures, demonstrating an uncommon steadfastness in the face of daunting pressures.

The Radcliffe Day awards program will include a testimonial by author James McBride; a video tribute by former first lady Michelle Obama, J.D. ’88; a keynote conversation between Simmons and Harvard President Emerita Drew Gilpin Faust; and the formal award presentation by Radcliffe Dean Tomiko Brown-Nagin.

Harvard Radcliffe Institute awards the Radcliffe Medal annually to an individual who embodies Radcliffe’s commitment to excellence and impact. The medal was first awarded to Lena Horne in 1987. Recent honorees include Ophelia Dahl, Jodie Foster, Melinda French Gates, Dolores Huerta, Sherrilyn Ifill, and Sonia Sotomayor.

“Ruth J. Simmons’s inspiring personal journey demonstrates the value of community and the power of education,” said Brown-Nagin, Daniel P.S. Paul Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School and professor of history in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “Through her fearless, principled leadership, she has had a transformative impact both on institutions that reflect the breadth of American colleges and universities and on the students and society they serve.

“I am honored to recognize Ruth Simmons at a moment when the promise of higher education that she has championed over decades — defined by opportunity and openness to difference and debate — is under threat.”

For more information, visit the Radcliffe Day events page.