Campus News

​Rockford University President Eric W. Fulcomer, Ph.D., presented the Jane Addams Medal for Distinguished Service to The Honorable Tammy Duckworth (D – IL) at a special presentation on Friday, February 7, 2020. The medal, given on behalf of the University and the Board of Trustees, honors the tradition of Jane Addams in recognition of her outstanding character and significant contributions to society. 

Dr. Fulcomer said, “Rockford University is truly honored to present the Jane Addams Medal to Senator Duckworth. She embodies the ideals of service and justice for the betterment of our society and in the tradition of Jane Addams, she has shown tremendous courage and dedication in her service to the citizens of Illinois and our nation.”

Jane Addams grew up in Cedarville, Illinois. She graduated from Rockford Female Seminary (Rockford University) in 1881. Shortly after that, she established the world-renowned Hull-House Settlement Community. Hull House was designed to provide access to social and educational opportunities for those individuals newly arrived to Chicago. Through her work for peace, social justice, and the eradication of hunger, Jane Addams was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1931.

The Jane Addams Medal is awarded to women who have taken stands in their lives that required critical thinking and courageous action. Medal recipients, in the tradition of Jane Addams, are pioneers in their professions, outstanding in character, and recognized for their contributions to the arts, sciences, and society. The award was established in 1944 by a Rockford College trustee, Mr. George Frazer, and the medal was designed by Chicago artist Andrene Kauffman. Each bronze-cast medal is separately inscribed with the name of the recipient and presented at a special ceremony. The medal was first awarded to Dr. Florence Rena Sabin during the College’s Centennial Celebration on May 3, 1947. Since that time, the Jane Addams Medal has been awarded to 38, now including Senator Tammy Duckworth, of the world’s most outstanding women in science, education, humanities, arts, law, literature, and other fields of endeavor.

A full list of medal recipients along with a video recording of the medal presentation can be found on Rockford University’s website – https://www.rockford.edu/about/jane-addams-medal/.