National Prize for Civility in Public Life
Allegheny College is one of the nation’s oldest liberal-arts colleges, with a long tradition of passionate but civil intellectual debate. Deeply troubled by the rise of incivility in U.S. politics, and its negative impacts on political participation, particularly among young people, the College created the Civility Prize in 2011 to highlight and reinforce the unheralded public figures who advance civility. The Prize seeks to honor public figures who have demonstrated steadfast civility throughout their career or have shown authentic, courageous civility at an important moment in time.
To honor public officials in Pennsylvania from both sides of the political spectrum who have conducted themselves with noteworthy civility.
To honor Allegheny students who exhibit a depth and breadth of activities, roles, responsibilities, and years of involvement that have a significant impact on civility and respect on the campus and beyond.
2019 National Prize
The eighth annual Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life was awarded to Congressmen Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for their collaborative work toward criminal justice reform, which resulted in passage of the bipartisan First Step Act. Brought together by their shared Baptist faith and love of music, Representatives Collins and Jeffries have partnered on several pieces of bipartisan legislation since both arriving in Congress in 2013. In addition to the First Step Act – which helps the formerly incarcerated successfully reintegrate into work and society – Collins and Jeffries worked together on the passage of the Music Modernization Act, which updates copyright laws for songwriters.
2018 National Prize
The seventh annual Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life was awarded to Texas Congressmen Will Hurd (R) and Beto O’Rourke (D) for their “bipartisan road trip” last year, when the two congressmen from opposing parties live-streamed collegial discussions on divisive issues over a 1,600-mile drive from Texas to the Capitol. The road trip — amplified through Facebook and Periscope — received national attention. Immigration, healthcare and hamburgers were among the topics during the more-than-24-hour trip, which they took after winter weather canceled their flights. The move inspired those following along on social media to share words of encouragement for the congressmen, with one commenter on Facebook noting, “This gives me faith for our country.”
2017 National Prize
The sixth annual Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life was awarded to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the family of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Their disagreements on a number of the key issues of our time were acute, representing opposing interpretations of the Constitution. Yet they forged a friendship grounded in mutual respect for the intellectual integrity and love of country that each brought to service on the Court. In challenging each other’s opinions, they made each other better justices and through the friendship that grew between them and their families, their lives were enriched both personally and professionally.
2016 National Prize
The fifth annual Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life was awarded to Vice President Joe Biden and Senator John McCain. These two political giants – one from the left and one from the right – have demonstrated throughout the course of their distinguished careers the benefits of civil behavior, and who showed remarkable moments of civility during recent Presidential campaigns. When announcing in 2015 that he would not seek the Presidency, Vice President Biden chose that moment to say, “I don’t think we should look at Republicans as our enemy. They are our opposition.” During a fiery town hall meeting while campaigning for President in 2008, Senator McCain took back the microphone to correct a misrepresentation of then-Senator Barack Obama.
2015 National Prize
In recognition of Allegheny’s bicentennial, the 2015 Civility Prize recognized the most important moment of civility in American history. The chosen moment: former Montgomery (AL) Police Chief Kevin Murphy taking off his badge and giving it to Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), as an act of contrition for the police department’s treatment of Lewis in 1961. Said then-Allegheny President Jim Mullen, Jr., “Historians could rightly say that other moments of civility were more important in American history,” said Mullen. “Perhaps that’s true. But I believe this is the moment America needs to reflect upon right now. Because it shows the incredible power of civility to bridge our racial divides. To foster reconciliation. And to give us all hope.”
2014 National Prize
The third annual Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life was awarded to the “Women of the Senate” – the 20 U.S. senators who banded together to help end the 16-day federal government shutdown in 2013. In so doing they helped to show the way toward a more civil climate in Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), the ranking Republican and Democrat members of the women of the Senate, accepted the award on their colleagues’ behalf.
2013 National Prize
The second Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life was awarded to Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Lindsey Graham, described as two proud partisans, who strive for civility in America’s most difficult political battlefields. In doing so, they challenge all of us to reflect more seriously about what civility really means, being true to their respective beliefs and helping to shape both the politics and the policy of their time.
2012 National Prize
The first Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life was awarded to political journalists and commentators David Brooks of The New York Times and nationally syndicated columnist Mark Shields. The two winners, one from each side of the ideological spectrum, were recognized for showing noteworthy civility while continuing to fight passionately for their beliefs. Brooks and Shields would regularly come together on ‘PBS NewsHour’ to vigorously debate the issues of the day, proving that civility does not require one to be tepid when advocating different points of view.
