Louise Mirrer, Ph.D., President and CEO of the New-York Historical Society, Receives the First-Ever Walter W. Buckley Jr. Prize

NEW YORK, June 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout her accomplished career Louise Mirrer, Ph.D., has led efforts to highlight, document, and exhibit important details about American history. Now, as the country prepares to celebrate Independence Day, Mirrer's passion and work are being held up as an example for others as she's named the first recipient of the Walter W. Buckley Jr. Prize from the Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement (DFI).

Mirrer will soon mark two decades as the president and CEO of the New-York Historical Society, during which time the institution has reinvigorated its commitment to greater public understanding of history and its relevance today, as well as to the support and encouragement of historical scholarship, and the education of young people.

The award is named in honor of U.S. history advocate, benefactor, and retired businessman Walter W. Buckley Jr.

Patrick Riccards, DFI's CEO, says, "The Buckley Prize is expressly designed to go directly to an individual who exemplifies and advances a better understanding of the United States. Dr. Mirrer, in all that she represents and has accomplished, is the perfect choice to be the initial recipient of this honor. We greatly appreciate Walter W. Buckley Jr. and his family for their devotion to this cause and for their important support."

Riccards adds, "This prize represents the idea that the story of America is still being written…the future course rests in our hands. To make the most of it, we must do more to learn and appreciate how we've arrived at this point. We're counting on historians such as Dr. Mirrer to continue to help us understand."

Mirrer says, "I'm honored to receive the Walter W. Buckley Jr. Prize from the Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement and to be the first person to be recognized in such a way. I'm grateful to all those who support the important work we do at the New-York Historical Society to make history matter and all those who've helped and inspired me on my professional journey. This award is all the more relevant with the approaching 250th anniversary of our country's founding just a few years away. Now is the time to ensure even more New Yorkers and Americans fully connect with our history."

Mirrer also announced that she's chosen to donate the $30,000 prize fund to the New-York Historical Society.

Under Mirrer's direction, the New-York Historical Society has launched groundbreaking exhibitions such as Slavery in New York, Nueva York, Chinese American: Inclusion/Exclusion, The Vietnam War: 1945 – 1975, and Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow. As president and CEO, she's overseen a $100 million capital campaign and the inauguration of the first-ever Center for Women's History within the walls of a major American museum. She has also initiated special projects that teach civics and history to sixth graders and helps green card holders prepare for the naturalization exam.

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SOURCE Driving Force Institute