Princeton Professor Emerita Toni Morrison Presented With the UCLA Medal

Toni Morrison, professor emerita at Princeton University, was presented the UCLA Medal at a Los Angeles ceremony on October 5. The medal is presented to an individual “of exceptionally distinguished academic and professional achievement whose work embodies UCLA’s highest ideals.”

The citation for the award stated that Professor Morrison was “one of the most celebrated authors and distinguished professors in American history.” It went on to say that Professor Morrison “has created works characterized by epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly drawn characters.”

Toni Morrison was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her novel Beloved. In 1993, she was the first African American woman to win a Nobel Prize. In 2012, Professor Morrison was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Professor Morrison joined the faculty at Princeton in 1989. Previously, she taught at the University at Albany of the State University of New York System and had been an editor at Random House for 20 years.