William T. Golden, Science Advocate and Barnard
Trustee, Receives Scholar-Patriot Award from American
Academy of Arts and Sciences
New
York, NY -- March 19, 2001, The American Academy
of Arts and Sciences presented its 2001 Scholar-Patriot
Distinguished Service Award to William T. Golden,
a prime architect of U.S. science policy and a
Barnard trustee.
In a New York ceremony, the Academy honored Golden,
91, for his role in creating the National Science
Foundation and the President's Science Advisory
Committee, as well as for his leadership of the
American Museum of Natural History and other major
civic organizations.
"Through his wise counsel and visionary leadership,
Bill Golden has exerted tremendous influence over
the development of science policy in the post-World
War II period, both here and abroad," said James
O. Freedman, President of the Academy. "In more
than 60 years of patriotic service to this country,
in and out of government, Bill has served as a
leading example of what John Adams and our other
founders envisioned as the engaged intellectual,"
Freedman added.
The
Scholar-Patriot Award is among the Academy's highest
honors. According to Executive Officer Leslie
C. Berlowitz, "The award honors individuals who
embody the Academy's 221-year-old commitment to
promoting the arts and sciences in the service
of the community and the nation." Last year's
award went to Leo L. Beranek, a pioneer of modern
acoustics and an early contributor to the development
of the Internet.
Golden's
distinguished career of service to the nation
began as a naval officer during World War II,
when he received several Letters of Commendation
for inventing an antiaircraft device. In 1950,
President Truman asked Golden to serve as an advisor
to help mobilize the nation's scientific resources.
His recommendations, contained in what are now
widely known as the Golden Memoranda, established
the foundation for a presidential science advisory
system and detailed a program for the National
Science Foundation. Golden co-authored and edited
three books on science advising to the top levels
of government. His government work also included
roles at the Atomic Energy Commission, the Department
of State, and the second Hoover Commission.
Golden
has helped advance public support of both the
sciences and the humanities through a lifetime
of service to many of the nation's leading scientific,
cultural, and educational organizations. In addition
to his role as the chair emeritus of the American
Museum of Natural History, Golden has made unparalleled
contributions as a board member and trustee of
the American Association for the Advancement of
Science, Barnard College, the Central Park Conservancy,
Mount Sinai Medical Center, the National Humanities
Center, and the New York Academy of Sciences.
In 1996, he received the Public Welfare Medal,
the highest honor accorded by the National Academy
of Sciences.
In the citation presented to him by President
Freedman and Academy Fellow Margaret E. Mahoney,
Golden was lauded for his lifetime of "energy,
generosity, and dedication to public life" and
for serving as a "catalyst for the ideas and institutions
that forged a new bond between science and government
-- a bond that endures to this day," The citation
concluded
We
honor your conviction that devoting one's life
to public service, to the world of learning, and
to the great institutions of this country is the
best way to perpetuate a democratic and civil
society. As the American Academy embarks on its
third century, we are honored to be the fortunate
beneficiary of your wisdom and guidance.
The
theme of the 1845th Stated Meeting of the Academy
was "Challenges in a New Century: The Engaged
Intellectual." Speakers included Freedman, Carnegie
Corporation President Vartan Gregorian, Rockefeller
Foundation President Gordon Conway, and Executive
Officer Berlowitz. Guests included Lillian Ross
of the New Yorker, who penned a short piece
on the event in the magazine's "Talk of the Town"
section.
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