Photo courtesy of the Lincoln Presidential Foundation
Pictured during the Lincoln Leadership Prize dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago on April 21 are, from left, 2025 Lincoln Leadership recipient actor Sam Waterston, emcee and Foundation board member Chaz Hammel-Smith Ebert, presenter U.S. Sen. Angus King, Lincoln Presidential Foundation president Erin Carlson Mast and “Charity for All” award recipient U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin
The Lincoln Presidential Foundation presented Sam Waterston with its 18th annual Lincoln Leadership Prize at a ceremony in Chicago on April 21. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, received the Foundation’s Wayne Whalen “Charity for All” Award, which is inspired by Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address.
The Lincoln Leadership Prize is awarded to individuals for a lifetime of exceptional service in the spirit of President Abraham Lincoln.
“Sam Waterston’s work, both on-screen and in service to others, embodies the values we honor through the Lincoln Leadership Prize,” said Charles Bobrinskoy, Foundation board chair.
Waterston is widely recognized for his portrayal of Lincoln in the critically acclaimed play Abe Lincoln in Illinois, which earned him a Tony nomination, as well as in other productions that have brought Lincoln’s legacy to life. He is also well-known for his film career and roles in the Netflix original series “Grace and Frankie” and the iconic “Law and Order” franchise.
Waterston is also dedicated to humanitarian causes. He has served as board chair of Oceana, the world’s largest ocean-focused NGO, and has been a member of the board of Refugees International, advocating for the rights of displaced individuals around the world.
The ceremony included remarks by Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer and U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine. Video tributes were provided by Keith Addis, Ken Burns, Ted Danson, Jane Fonda and Susan Cohn Rockefeller.
“The award honors individuals who accept the responsibilities imposed by history and demanded by conscience, who show great strength of character and exhibit unwavering commitment to the defining principles of democracy,” said Foundation president and CEO Erin Carlson Mast.
Waterston demonstrated that in his passionate acceptance speech.
“This is a precarious time for our country,” said Waterston. “We can’t sit this one out. History has come for us.” Citing Lincoln, he said the crux of the matter is about liberty. “We’ll be OK if we stand up … We need to jump across party lines and talk to each other … All we have to do is stay in the game, and we’ll be OK … The habit of democracy is in our bones.”
The Charity for All award recognizes individuals who exemplify civic leadership, generosity of spirit and a commitment to the ideals of our nation. In 2022, the award was renamed the Wayne Whalen Charity for All award in honor of longtime board member and chair emeritus Wayne Whalen, who died that year. Durbin is the fourth recipient.
“Sen. Durbin’s lifelong leadership and public service embody the very spirit of this award,” said Mast. “We also recognize his deep appreciation for history and advocacy for cultural heritage as essential to our nation’s future.”
Durbin was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 and elected U.S. senator in 1996. During his Senate tenure, Durbin has sponsored or cosponsored legislation on numerous national issues, including education, health care, immigration and the Dream Act, veterans’ benefits, consumer protection and gun safety. He’s been a champion on behalf of the people of Illinois.
Durbin has also worked to share the legacy of Lincoln with current and future generations. He was a driving force to create the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield and cochaired the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in 2009 with Lincoln scholar Holzer, who spoke at the event, and Ray LaHood.
“Those words from Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, ‘with malice toward none, with charity for all,’ remain a guiding principle for all who believe in service to others,” said Durbin.
Nell Minow, Value Edge Advisors, presented the award to Durbin, describing him as a model of Midwest passion and pragmatism who has devoted his career to being a helper.
In his acceptance speech, Durbin described America as more dangerously divided than any time since the Civil War. “Every day we are besieged with changes that feel bewildering, even ominous,” he said.
“President Lincoln believed that our connections to our past – our ability to recall our national purpose – could help us avoid division,” said Durbin. “But how can we continue to be touched by those mystic chords of memory if today’s leaders appear determined to erase our past? President Lincoln told us that the healing for a broken nation begins with malice toward none and charity for all. Yet today, we see the immense power of our government being used to exact revenge and retribution.”
Durbin declared that we need to find the Lincoln spirit within us and most of all embrace the qualities that defined Abraham Lincoln – compassion and courage.
To watch the entire program, go to https://www.youtube.com/@lincolnpresidentialfoundation.