Emory Medal
The Emory Medal recognizes the best of the best.
This award is Emory’s most prestigious alumni award and honors recipients who are leaders in their field as well as leaders in their local, national, and global communities. Simply put, Emory Medal recipients are recognized for:
- service to Emory, the Emory Alumni Association, or a constituent alumni association
- service to the community
- achievement in business, the arts, the professions, government, or education
The honoree is the featured guest at a celebration attended by previous medalists, Emory Alumni Board members, and top university administrators. Recipients also are honored with a biographical video.
John Hardman 73FM
John Hardman spent more than 20 years as the head of the Carter Center. He provided leadership for the center’s program initiatives including election monitoring in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He also had a role in public health training in Ethiopia, global development strategies, conflict resolution efforts, and agriculture programs aimed at improving food production in Africa and North Korea.
Hardman joined the Carter Center in 1989 as head of the Initiative to Reduce Global Tobacco Use and directed its Mental Health Program from 1991 to 1993. He was named executive officer in 1992, and in March 2007 became president and CEO.
Hardman received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, trained in psychiatry as a resident at the Mayo Clinic, and completed a child psychiatry fellowship at Emory University. He taught at Emory University School of Medicine and was medical director at Peachford Hospital.
He has also held leadership positions with many professional and community organizations. Hardman served on the board of directors of the Task Force for Child Survival and Development and the Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley. Along with his work with the Carter Center, Hardman has been part of the Emory School of Medicine Advisory Board and the Bobby Jones Advisory Board.
Chilton Davis Varner 76L
Chilton Davis Varner has described her Emory service as “far and away the most rewarding.” Senior counsel for trial and global disputes with King & Spalding, Varner was the firm’s first female litigation partner in 1983 and the first woman elected to the firm’s management committee in 1995.
She speaks regularly on women’s issues and has taught a session of the Temple University Graduate Program in Litigation titled “Women as Trial Lawyers.” She also gave the Kolsby Distinguished Lecture in Trial Advocacy at Temple University Law School in 2014.
Varner was selected for the short list of leading women lawyers by the National Law Journal, Benchmark, Law360, Chambers, the American Lawyer, US News & World Report Best Lawyers, the International Who’s Who in Product Liability, and LMG Life Sciences.
Now an emerita trustee, Varner served on Emory’s Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2013. She is a past president of the Emory Law Alumni Association and has been recognized as an Emory Law Distinguished Alumna. In 2012, she was also the inaugural recipient of Emory Law’s Eléonore Raoul Greene Trailblazer Award. She’s also served with the Emory Chamber Music Society and Emory Alumni President’s Club. She is president emeritus of the Supreme Court Historical Society.
In 2014, Varner received the J. Pollard Turman Alumni Service Award—one of the highest honors of the Emory Alumni Association and designated the $25,000 pledge she received to benefit Emory Law.
Nominate the next recipient
Do you know someone who fits the bill? The Emory Alumni Board's Nominating and Leadership Committee would appreciate your help finding the next Emory Medal Recipient.
Past Recipients
2024
Carlos del Rio 86MR 88FM
C. Robert Henrikson 72L
2023
Luis A. Aguilar 85L
Ben F. Johnson III 65C
2022
Clarence Cooper 67L
Jean O'Connor 98C 01L 01PH 22L
2021
Mary S. McCabe 72BSN
Dr. Richard R. Souviron 58C 60D
2019
David Adelman 89L
Richard Hubert 60L
2018
Crystal Johnson 00N
Jason Slabach 13N
Lauren Mitchell-Spurlock 95Ox 97N
Kenneth Waler 56ox 58C 63M 65MR 70MR 71MR
2016
Perry Brickman 53C
Charles H. "Pete" Mctier 61B
2015
Paul M. Mclarty Jr. 63c 66L
Cecil B. Wilson 57c 61M
2014
William C. O'kelley 51C 53L
John W. Stephenson 70C
2013
Sonny Deriso 68C 72L
Joan Hall 71G 76PhD
2012
Miles Alexander 52C
Elliott Levitas 52C 56L
2011
Mary Ann B. Oakley 70G 74L
James W. Turpin 49C 51T 55M
2010
Twilla Haynes 80MN
William Warren III 53B
2009
Henry Bowden Jr 74L
Arthur Keys Jr 92T
2008
Kamal Mansour 68MR
Alvin Sugarman 60B 88PHD
Hugh Tarbutton 52Ox 55B
2007
Ronnie Weathers 60C 62D 66D
William H. Fox, Jr. 79G
2006
Sarah Ann Long 69G
Eugene M. Zimmerman 54T
2005
Verdelle B. Bellamy 63N
Charles C. Haynes III 71C 85PhD
2004
Donna Keesler Schwartz 62C P97 07
Frank Kellogg Allan 56C 77T
Michael Lucius Lomax 84PhD
2003
William Earnest Harwell 40C
Solon P. Patterson 57B 58MBA
Marianna R. Patterson 61C
John L. Cromartie Jr. 64C 88T
2002
William M. Kelso 71PhD
Venable Lawson 50G
Ralph T. Holland 47B
2001
W. Shain Schley 62C 66M
Sara E. Barger 73MN
Max Cleland 68G
Leah J. Sears 80L
Joseph R. Gladden 64C
Ellen Agnor Bailey 68C 87EMBA
Bradley Currey Jr.
2000
William N. Kelley 59C 63M
Patricia Dwinnell Butler 31L
Jane E. Smith 70G
James B. Carson 61B
F. Dudley Williams 31Xx
Burness E. Moore 33C
Anne Holden Carson 61C
1999
Walter H. Beckham Jr. 41C
Robert E. Chappell Jr. 56Ox 58B 68MBA
Margaret E. Parsons 75MN 85PhD
Kenneth Douglas Cole 76C
James L. Ferman Jr. 65B
Fleming L. Jolley 43Ox 47M
Cecelia Davis Ferman 65C
Beverly Guy-Sheftall 84PhD
Ann Brookshire Sherer 91T
1998
Laura Jones Hardman 67C
Jesse L. Walker 38C 41M
James R. Gavin III 70PhD
Earl Dolive 40B
Barbara Brown Taylor 73C
Anthony A. Alaimo 48L
1997
Nancy Rankin Tarbutton 57C
J. Harper Gaston 52C 55M
H. Jackson Brown Jr. 63C
Glenda A. Hatchett 77L
Edith Folsom Honeycutt 39N
Ben J. Tarbutton Jr. 49Ox 51C
Ben F. Johnson Jr. 36C 40L
Anne Elizabeth Hendrick Gaston 55M
1996
William C. Waters III 50C 58M
Tillie Kidd Fowler 64C 67L
Charles A. Harris 42B
Alicia Anne Philipp 75C
1995
Felker W. Ward Jr. 71L
Em Olivia Bevis 55N
1994
J. David Allen 67C 70D 75MSD
J. Ben Shapiro 64C 67L
Henry A. Mann 62Ox 64C
Gloria Jean Wade-Gayles 81PhD
Billy E. Frye 54G 56PhD
Austin Ford 50C
1993
Ulysses S. Seal III 48C 49G 57PhD
Marianne Mcdonald Leach 64C
John W. Mcintyre 51B
Jerry Wayne Leach 64C
Goodwin M. Breinin 40G 43M
Emily Saliers 85C
Amy Ray 86C
1992
Thelma Wyatt Cummings 71L
L. Bevel Jones III 46C 49T
James Thomas Laney
James H. Wilson Jr. 40C
James B. O'neal 77Ox 79C
Berta Laney
1991
Rebecca Cheney Mcgreevy 55C
Lynn H. Johnston 50Ox 52B
John N. Mclaughlin 41C
Henry King Stanford 36C 40G
1990
M. Lanier "Sonny" Carter 69C 73M
Linton H. Bishop Jr. 47M
Hamilton E. Holmes 67M
Ely R. Callaway Jr. 40C
Catherine E. Rudder 69C
1989
Robert T. Thompson Sr. 51C 52L
Robert M. Strickland
Nina Rusk Hosch Carson 35N 51G
J. Coleman Budd 50B
1988
Sam A. Nunn Jr. 61C 62L
R. Howard Dobbs Jr. 27C
Marvin S. Arrington 67L
Luella Klein
G. Conley Ingram 49C 51L
1987
Mary Lynn Morgan 43D
Joanna Moseley Adams 66C
Cherry L. Emerson 38C 39G
Charles B. Ginden 55C
1986
J. Robin Harris 48C 49L
Henry J. Miller 26C
Covington Hardee 40C
1985
James B. Williams 55C
Elmo Ellis 48G
Dan C. Moore 35Ox 37C 40G
1984
Thomas E. Bryant 58C 62M 67L
Ferrol A. Sams Jr. 45M
Clifford A. Bell 46Ox 50C
1983
Joseph M. Beck 65C
E. Thomas Gross 42N
David E. Estes 46G 51G
1982
Smith L. Johnston Jr. 39B
George P. Cuttino
Betty Marie Stewart 52N
1981
S. Russell Bridges Jr. 33B
Harriet Harper Williams Mcdonald 32N 51N 57MN
George P. Crumbley Jr. 49C
1980
Wytch Stubbs Jr. 52C 55T 66M
Evangeline T. Papageorge 29G
Barbara Mcknight Hund 58C
1979
Woolford B. Baker 20G
N. Bond Fleming 33C 36T
Kenneth S. Taratus 56D
George F. Cooper Jr. 41C 52G
1978
W. Sam Smith 47B
John W. Rozier 39C 47G
Gardner B. Allen 28C 30G 33L
1977
William Alfred Strozier 19C
Elizabeth Long Atwood
1976
Paul H. Anderson 38C 40L
Emory Williams 32C
Charles N. Watson 38C 53G
1975
M. Erle Phillips Jr. 41B 48L
George S. Craft 31C
Charles Turner Lester 31Ox 33C 34G
1974
Sanford Soverhill Atwood
1972
Robert Sterling Wiggins 36C 39L
Guy Redvers Lyle
Charles Howard Candler Jr. 26C
1971
William Henry Jones 24C
Charles Thiot Winship 26C
1970
Alton Venson Hallum 29M
1969
Robert Fleming Whitaker 26C 27L
Randolph William Thrower 34C 36L
Lewis Lamar Clegg 25C 31G
Boisfeuillet Jones 34C 37L
1968
William Edgar Callahan 23C
Thomas Edward Braly Jr. 52D
R. Carl Chandler 41C
Ellis Heber Rece 25G
1967
Thomas Erwin Mcdonough Sr.
John Pollard Turman 34C 35L
1966
Virgil Young Cook Eady 36G
James George Lester 18C 23G
1965
William Eldridge Smith 18C
Halsey Sims Garland 17C
Ansley Bascom Andrews Padgett 35B
1964
William Ernest Rogers 20C
Perrillah Atkinson Malone 62G
1963
Judson Clements Ward Jr. 33C 36G
Emmett Beard Cartledge Jr. 31C 33L
Angus Waldo Sowell Jr. 37B
1962
Sidney Walter Martin 32C
Paul Douglas West 24C 40G
1960
Walter Ransom Davis Jr. 34C
Aubrey Fairfax Folts 26C 27L
1959
Paul Easterling Bryan 07C
1957
Sterling Gardner Brinkley 07C
Randolph Lewis Fort 29C 30G
Goodrich Cook White 08C
1956
Henry Lumpkin Bowden 32c 34L
1953
Charles Howard Candler Sr. 98C
1952
Henry Prentice Miller 27c 28G
1951
Mrs. De Los Lemuel Hill
1950
Chess Abernathy Jr. 34C
1949
William Lowry Pressly 12M
Granger Hansell 22C 24L
1946
William Danner Thomson 1895C
Walter Turner Candler 07C
Malcolm Howard Dewey
Elizabeth Chappell Duncan