2019 Governor’s Awards in the Humanities
A Dinner to Benefit the Public Humanities in Massachusetts
Sunday, October 27, 2019
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Columbia Point, Boston
5:00 Reception | 6:00 Dinner and Governor’s Award Presentations
The Governor’s Awards in the Humanities will be conferred upon four leaders in recognition of their public actions, grounded in an appreciation of the humanities, to enhance civic life in the Commonwealth.
The 2019 Honorees
DANIELLE ALLEN
Danielle Allen is the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, and Director of Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. She is widely known for her work on justice and citizenship in both ancient Athens and modern America. Allen is the author of five books, including most recently Cuz: The Life and Times of Michael A. (2017). She is a former chair of the Mellon Foundation board, and past chair of the Pulitzer Prize board. She is the principal investigator for the Democratic Knowledge Project at Harvard, providing the knowledge, skills, and capacities that citizens need in order to succeed at operating their democracy.
LEE BLAKE
Lee Blake is president of the New Bedford Historical Society and has worked as a teacher and administrator for over 40 years. Her efforts to reclaim the history of black people in the region include the restoration and preservation of the Nathan and Mary Johnson House, former home of Frederick Douglass and a site on the Underground Railroad. She has secured six grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities for teachers’ professional development nationwide, and she received the National Park Service’s 2018 Robert G. Stanton Award for promoting and preserving the history of the Underground Railroad.
NANCY DONAHUE
Nancy Donahue was a founder of the Merrimack Repertory Theater, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and she currently serves as board chair. She has helped revitalize Lowell over the past four decades as a board member—and in many cases a founder—of regional organizations, including the Cultural Office of Lowell, Lasell College, the New England Quilt Museum, UMass Lowell, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley (where she served as the first woman board president), the former American Textile Museum, and the Whistler House Museum of Art, where she is now board chair.
JEFFREY MUSMAN
Jeffrey Musman has practiced law for 45 years, the last sixteen as a Partner with Seyfarth Shaw LLP, concentrating in the areas of corporate and commercial law, real estate development, land use, and public and private finance. As a Nahant resident, Musman has served in many civic roles, including as a member of the Nahant Preservation Trust board since 1996. He is chairman emeritus of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts board, and serves as member and former board president of the Northeast ARC. He served on the Mass Humanities board of directors from 2009-2017, including one term as treasurer.
The Proceeds:
Proceeds support programs that reach underserved communities such as the Clemente Course in the Humanities, which serves as a bridge to further education and civic involvement for low-income adults. Mass Humanities is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the use of history, literature, philosophy, and the other humanities disciplines to deepen our understanding of the issues of the day, strengthen our sense of common purpose, and enrich individual and community life.
Sponsorship Opportunities:
Sponsorships start at the $2,500 Benefactor level and include benefits such as:
- An ad in the program booklet given to all 350+ guests.
- Recognition on Mass Humanities website.
- Inclusion in displays and materials made for the event.
- Seats at the dinner.
Download sponsorship details (pdf). Questions? contact John Sieracki.