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John Hope Franklin Fellowship

John Hope Franklin was a pioneering historian whose life’s work focused on ensuring that the lives and achievements of African Americans were fully incorporated into the historical narrative of America. Franklin was the first Black department chair at a predominantly white institution, Brooklyn College; the first Black professor to hold an endowed chair at Duke University; and the first Black president of the American Historical Association.

Franklin’s passion for inclusivity and social justice extended well beyond the walls of the academy. He served as an advisor to the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund on cases that included Brown v. Board of Education, joined protestors in a 1965 march led by Martin Luther King, Jr. in Montgomery, Alabama, and chaired President Clinton’s One America Initiative, which was dedicated to addressing racial and ethnic divisions. In 1995 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Franklin delivered the keynote address at the National Humanities Center’s dedication in 1979 and remained deeply engaged for over 30 years as a Fellow (1980–82) and then as a Trustee from 1982 to 1991 when he was elected Trustee Emeritus.

In 2000, numerous generous donors, friends, and associates of Dr. Franklin endowed the John Hope Franklin Senior Fellowship in his honor. The fellowship is awarded each year to a scholar working in American history and culture.