James Madison Award
The award named for President James Madison was established in 1989 and is presented annually on the anniversary of his birth to honor individuals or groups who have championed, protected and promoted public access to government information and the public’s right to know at the national level.
View a list of previous recipients here.
Details
Frequency: Annual
Professional Recognition Information
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Jon Tester
2017 - Winner(s) ALA presented U.S. Senator Jon Tester of Montana with the 2017 James Madison Award for his advocacy for public access to government information. Upon accepting... |
2017 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Seamus Kraft
2016 - Winner(s) Seamus Kraft is a communicator and civic activist building new means for successful democracy in the digital age. Since February 2013, he has built The...
|
2016 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| John Cornyn
2015 - Winner(s) Since taking office in 2002, Senator Cornyn has led congressional efforts to improve the public’s access to government information. In 2007, he co-sponsored the OPEN... |
2015 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| President Barack Obama’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies
2014 - Winner(s) Calling on the government to enhance public trust, the President’s Review Group produced a thoughtful report with a blueprint showing how the government can reaffirm... |
2014 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Swartz
2013 - Winner(s) Before his untimely death in January, Swartz was an outspoken advocate for public participation in government and unrestricted access to peer-reviewed scholarly articles. Swartz was... |
2013 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Rep. Zoe Lofgren
2012 - Winner(s)
She is a cosponsor of the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA). Introduced in February, the bill is aimed at improving access... |
2012 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| McDermott
2011 - Winner(s) director of OpenTheGovernment.org |
2011 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
2010 - Co-Winner(s) In December of 2009, the National Security Archive, CREW, the White House and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) entered into an agreement setting... |
2010 - Co-Winner(s) | |
| Fuchs
2010 - Co-Winner(s) |
2010 - Co-Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Susman
2009 - Winner(s) |
2009 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Feingold
2008 - Winner(s) |
2008 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| McMasters
2007 - Winner(s) |
2007 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Aftergood
2006 - Winner(s) |
2006 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Schmidt
2005 - Winner(s) |
2005 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Sobel
2004 - Winner(s) |
2004 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Horn
2003 - Winner(s) |
2003 - Winner(s) | |
| Government of Arlington County
2003 - Winner(s) |
2003 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Steven Garfinkel
2002 - Winner(s) |
2002 - Winner(s) | |
| John E. Moss
2002 - Winner(s) |
2002 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| John D. Podesta
2001 - Winner(s) |
2001 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Larry Irving, former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
2000 - Winner(s) |
2000 - Winner(s) | |
| Larry Irving
2000 - Winner(s) |
2000 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Board members and congressional sponsors of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board
1999 - Winner(s) |
1999 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne P. Kelley
1998 - Winner(s) |
1998 - Winner(s) | |
| Eliot Christian
1998 - Winner(s) |
1998 - Winner(s) | |
| U.S. Geological Survey, National Library of Medicine
1998 - Winner(s) |
1998 - Winner(s) | |
| Ben Bagdikian
1998 - Winner(s) |
1998 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| George Soros, philanthropist and financier
1997 - Winner(s) |
1997 - Winner(s) | |
| George Soros
1997 - Winner(s) |
1997 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| The National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council
1996 - Winner(s) |
1996 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| The Government Printing Office
1995 - Winner(s) |
1995 - Winner(s) | |
| Sailor Project
1995 - Winner(s) |
1995 - Winner(s) | |
| Seattle (WA) Public Library,
1995 - Winner(s) |
1995 - Winner(s) | |
| Internet Multicasting Service's Town Hall Project
1995 - Winner(s) |
1995 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Eileen D. Cooke
1994 - Winner(s) |
1994 - Winner(s) | |
| Hazel O'Leary
1994 - Winner(s) |
1994 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| The legislators who led the passage of P.L. 103-40, the GPO Access Act
1993 - Winner(s) |
1993 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Nina Totenberg
1992 - Winner(s) |
1992 - Winner(s) | |
| Scott Armstrong
1992 - Winner(s) |
1992 - Winner(s) | |
| Brian Lamb
1992 - Winner(s) |
1992 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Representative Don Edwards (D-CA)
1991 - Winner(s) |
1991 - Winner(s) | |
| Don Edwards
1991 - Winner(s) |
1991 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
1990 - Winner(s) |
1990 - Winner(s) | |
| Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA)
1990 - Winner(s) |
1990 - Winner(s) | |
| Philip Shabecoff, journalist
1990 - Winner(s) |
1990 - Winner(s) | |
| Frank Lautenberg
1990 - Winner(s) |
1990 - Winner(s) | |
| The Office of Toxic Substances of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1990 - Winner(s) |
1990 - Winner(s) | |
| Henry Waxman
1990 - Winner(s) |
1990 - Winner(s) | |
| Philip Shabecoff
1990 - Winner(s) |
1990 - Winner(s) | |
| Office of Toxic Substances
1990 - Winner(s) |
1990 - Winner(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
1989 - Winner(s) |
1989 - Winner(s) | |
| Patrick Leahy
1989 - Winner(s) |
1989 - Winner(s) |
Nominations should be submitted to the ALA Washington Office. Submissions should include a statement (maximum one page) about the nominee’s contribution to public access to government information, why it merits the award and one seconding letter. Please include a brief biography and contact information for the nominee.
Send e-mail nominations to Gavin Baker, assistant director of Government Relations, at gbaker@alawash.org. Submissions can also be mailed to:
James Madison Award / Eileen Cooke Award American Library Association Washington Office 1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20009-2520
