Princeton University's Allen Guelzo Wins DFI's 2025 Walter W. Buckley, Jr. Prize in American History

PRINCETON, N.J., July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of his lifelong commitment to American history and the improvement of historical knowledge for all learners, Dr. Allen C. Guelzo, American historian, commentator on public issues, and New York Times best-selling author, has been named the 2025 winner of the Walter W. Buckley Jr. Prize in American History from the Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement (DFI).

Guelzo is the Thomas W. Smith Distinguished Research Scholar and Director of the Initiative on Politics and Statesmanship in the James Madison Program at Princeton University. From 2004 to 2019, he was the Director of Civil War Era Studies and the Henry R. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He earned his MA and PhD in history from the University of Pennsylvania.

The award is named in honor of U.S. history advocate, benefactor, and businessman Walter W. Buckley Jr., who passed away in 2023.

Dr. 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. For decades, Dr. Guelzo has been the gold standard when it comes to improving the teaching of American history at institutions of higher education. He is a testament to the importance of American history education and to helping all learners see relevance and interest in our nation's past."

Among his many award-winning publications, Gettysburg: The Last Invasion spent eight weeks on the New York Times best-seller list and won the Lincoln Prize, the inaugural Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize in Military History, the Fletcher Pratt Award of the New York City Round Table, and the Richard Harwell Award of the Atlanta Civil War Round Table. His Robert E. Lee: A Life (2021) was named one of the Wall Street Journal's 'Top Ten' books of 2021.

Dr. Guelzo is one of Power Line's 100 "Top Professors" in America. From 2006 to 2013, he served as a member of the National Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

"I am honored to receive this year's Buckley Prize in American History," Dr. Guelzo said. "I have great respect for Walter Buckley and his unwavering commitment to history and historic preservation. As I've long taught in my classroom, 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."

As part of this recognition, Dr. Guelzo is directing his cash award to Tolson's Chapel in Sharpsburg, Maryland. Tolson's Chapel was founded in 1866 by African Americans and served as a church and a school operated by the Freedmen's Bureau. It has the distinction of being one of the rare historical sites dedicated to the history of Reconstruction and has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. It is a living reminder of the struggle for freedom and the Emancipation Proclamation which the battle made possible.

Contact:
Patrick Riccards
703-298-8283
[email protected]

SOURCE Driving Force Institute