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Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, received the 12th annual John P. McGovern Award in Behavioral Sciences on December 9th in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian Institution said they chose to honor Mrs. Edelman “in recognition of her contributions to furthering our understanding of the American family and her work to improve the quality of American family life.” Upon being presented with the award, Mrs. Edelman reflected on her career as a voice for children and families. She discussed the progress that has been made and the challenges that are faced by families, communities, and policymakers to uphold the CDF’s Leave No Child Behind® mission to ensure that every child has a “healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start” in life and a successful passage to adulthood.

The Smithsonian established the McGovern Endowment in 1988 to recognize individuals in the behavioral sciences and other professions who, through their work, have made outstanding contributions to further our understanding of the family in America. The Smithsonian established the award in honor of John P. McGovern (1921-2007), a celebrated physician, educator, author, medical historian, philosopher, philanthropist, and humanitarian.

Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, received the 12th annual John P. McGovern Award in Behavioral Sciences on December 9th in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian Institution said they chose to honor Mrs. Edelman “in recognition of her contributions to furthering our understanding of the American family and her work to improve the quality of American family life.”
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