2005 Laureate Prize Winner
Sandra Day O’Connor
2005 Benjamin Franklin Creativity Laureate in Public Service & the Humanities
Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1981. Pursuing a career in a male-dominated profession, with quiet determination, she rose to the top of her field. A pragmatic, moderate and creative jurist, known for her dispassionate and meticulously researched opinions on the bench, she has been both mentor and role model, further opening the door for women at all levels of the legal profession.
The Medallion
The Creativity Laureate Prize medallion, after Jean Baptiste Nini’s 1777 pot metal and terracotta medallions, now cast in silver using old lost wax techniques at the British Royal Mint. The award includes a silver medallion, which replicates Nini’s 1777 “Benjamin Franklin in Fur Cap,“ and a cash award.
Baird Auditorium
Baird Auditorium, the Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.