On 6/5 Ford’s Theatre Society will bestow the Lincoln Medal on The Honorable James E. Clyburn and Clive Davis. The award is given to a person or persons who, through their body of work, accomplishments or personal attributes, exemplify the lasting legacy and mettle of character embodied by the most beloved president in our nation’s history.

The celebrated congressman and the music-biz legend will be honored at the Ford’s Theatre Annual Gala, the first since 2019 due to the pandemic. The presentation will be followed by a dinner at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum.

“Abraham Lincoln’s legacy as a complex and inspiring American is timeless,” Ford’s Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault proclaimed. “We are honored to present this year’s Lincoln Medals to two remarkable men who, like Lincoln, have shaped American life and artistic expression for generations.”

Past recipients of the Lincoln Medal include General Colin Powell and wife Alma Powell as well as political humorist Mark Russell (2019), philanthropist and businesswoman Sheila C. Johnson and golf legend Jack Nicklaus (2018), former NFL QB Peyton Manning (2017), civil-rights activist Diane Nash (2016), former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice (2015), Congressmen John Lewis (2007) and John D. Dingell (2014), Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel (2012), human-rights activist Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Justice Albie Sachs (2010), filmmaker George Lucas (2009), actors James Earl Jones (2014), Ruby Dee (2008) and Sidney Poitier (2009), Dr. Maya Angelou (2008), Aretha Franklin (2009) and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (2008).