The 76th Alexander Hamilton Award Dinner will celebrate Lee C. Bollinger, who served as President of Columbia University from 2002 to 2023, marking the longest tenure of any Ivy League president in the modern era.

The Hamilton Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon a member of the Columbia College community, recognizes extraordinary service and achievements across any field.

Throughout his two-decade presidency, Bollinger championed numerous transformative initiatives. He was instrumental in the development of Columbia’s Manhattanville campus, the first new campus in nearly a century, designed to foster artistic innovation and community engagement. Under his leadership, Columbia also established the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, which has become the leading center for neuroscience research globally. Additionally, Bollinger founded the Columbia Climate School, the nation’s first institution dedicated to addressing climate change. He furthered Columbia’s impact on global issues through Columbia World Projects and established a network of 11 Columbia Global Centers across four continents.

Bollinger's presidency was marked by two of the most successful capital campaigns in higher education history. Despite his extensive administrative duties, he remained committed to teaching, continuing to lead a popular undergraduate course on the First Amendment.

A prominent advocate for diversity, Bollinger played a crucial role in landmark Supreme Court cases that upheld the right of universities to consider race in admissions to promote a diverse student body. His tenure saw a significant expansion in financial aid, record application numbers, and increased diversity at Columbia.

Currently, as the first Seth Low Professor of the University and a member of the Law School faculty, Bollinger is recognized as a leading scholar on First Amendment issues, emphasizing the importance of free speech and press in a democratic society.