UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State alumni Larry and Lynne Brown have made a leadership gift to endow a new award that recognizes an outstanding individual, organization or a group of individuals for exceptional innovation in the advancement of democracy in the United States or around the world. The award will be coordinated by the Penn State Institute for Democracy. Each year, the award recipient or a representative of the honored organization will present a fall lecture series and interact with students at Penn State, with the lecture eventually being published for future study and teaching by scholars and students.
The Laurence and Lynne Brown Democracy Medal spotlights and honors the best work being done to advance democracy here and internationally. Under the award program, the Penn State Institute for Democracy will recognize practical innovations, such as new institutions, laws, technologies or movements that advance the cause of democracy. In addition, future awards will highlight advances in democratic theory that enrich philosophical or empirical conceptions of democracy.
"I am grateful for the generosity of Lynne and Larry in making this substantial gift at a critical moment for the Institute for Democracy, and indeed, for democracy," said Susan Welch, the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts. "The gift will allow the Institute to launch the Democracy Medal Program and bring the honored individuals and groups to campus this fall to share their knowledge with students, faculty and the public."
Larry Brown said, "The Institute for Democracy and its faculty have done so much to advance the best practices of effective democracies and help transform debate, discussions and governing in our country. It has been exciting for us to be involved with the institute, and we hope the Democracy Medal program is just the start of more innovation to come from the faculty and students."
Nominations for the inaugural Brown Democracy Medal have been solicited and submitted, with the honoree to be announced this spring. In September 2014, the recipient or a representative of the organization will receive a medal and a $5,000 award, and give a public talk to faculty and students throughout the University. In addition, the honoree will provide a short essay describing the innovation for a general audience. The Institute for Democracy will make the essay available to the public electronically and by audio.
John Gastil, director of the Institute for Democracy, notes, "Faculty and students engaged with the institute are seeking to address difficult issues from two perspectives: first, encouraging civil discussions and rhetoric aimed at solving problems, and then, helping to understand the appropriate balance among government responsiveness, majority rule and minority rights. We are very thankful for Lynne and Larry’s enthusiasm and commitment to the institute’s focus on the larger issues and connections between those questions.''