On the evening of November 14, in National Statuary Hall, U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society gathered to present two awards, the 20th Annual Freedom Award and the Chairman’s Fred Schwengel Award.
The Freedom Award is presented annually to individuals and organizations that have promoted freedom, democracy and representative government. This year’s recipients were the Honorable William S. Cohen and the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta in recognition of their distinguished service in the United States Congress, and their “across the aisle” leadership in the executive branch. Both men served in the cabinet of a president of the opposite party and in doing so inspired greater public understanding and involvement in our nation’s enduring representative democracy.
The Chairman’s Fred Schwengel Award was presented to Suzanne Callison Dicks, General Secretary of the Board of Trustees from 1995-2013. The Fred Schwengel Award named after the Society’s Founding President was presented in grateful recognition of Dicks’ two decades of service and leadership to the United States Capitol Historical Society, which have immeasurably shaped and furthered the organization’s mission to bring the history and meaning of the United States Capitol and the principles of American representative government to an ever-expanding public audience.
