American History Professor Tracy Campbell to be Honored at UK Libraries Spring Celebration
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 27, 2022) — University of Kentucky Libraries will host a Spring Celebration to honor the 2022 recipient of the UK Libraries Medallion for Intellectual Achievement, UK Professor of American History Tracy Campbell, Ph.D. The celebration will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 12, in the William T. Young Library on UK’s campus.
Tracy Campbell is the E. Vernon Smith and Eloise C. Smith Professor of American History at the University of Kentucky. He is the author of five books, including “The Year of Peril: America in 1942,” the winner of the 2021 Barbara and David Zalaznick American History Book Prize from the New-York Historical Society. He was also appointed American Historian Laureate by the N-YHS. Among his other books, “Short of the Glory: The Fall and Redemption of Edward F. Prichard, Jr.” was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and “The Gateway Arch: A Biography” won the 2014 Missouri History Book Award.
A native Kentuckian, Campbell earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky and a Ph.D. from Duke University. He has been teaching at UK since 1999, and was the recipient of the UK Alumni Association Great Teacher Award in 2010. In 2019, he was awarded a Stanton Foundation Grant to create the course, "The History of Misinformation." He has been featured on NPR’s "Morning Edition" and "Weekend Edition" with Scott Simon, “The World in Time” podcast with Lewis Lapham, and will be the guest on an upcoming “History with David Rubenstein” show on PBS.
One of UK’s most prestigious awards, the UK Libraries Medallion for Intellectual Achievement was created in 1990 to recognize high intellectual achievement by a Kentuckian who has made a lasting contribution to the Commonwealth. The award also promotes education and creative thought. Recipients of the UK Libraries Medallion for Intellectual Achievement are determined by the UK Libraries National Advisory Board.
The UK Libraries Spring Celebration award presentations will begin at 6 p.m. A reception will follow with cocktails and heavy hors d'oeuvres. This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested; individuals can RSVP at bit.ly/UKLSpringCelebration.
As the premier research library in the Commonwealth, UK Libraries empowers lifelong learners to discover, create and connect by providing ever-expanding access to quality information and collaborating with academic and creative communities worldwide to advance knowledge, enhance scholarship and preserve the history and culture of the Commonwealth. More information about UK Libraries can be found on its website.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.