Each year, the American Academy of Arts and Letters gives out two Gold Medals to recognize outstanding work. These medals are given from different categories each year.
In 1915, the Academy decided to create an extra Gold Medal for "special distinction." This medal honors the lifetime work of someone who is not already a member of the Academy. The first person to receive this medal was Charles Eliot, who was once the president of Harvard. This award was given the following year, in 1916.
A list of awards in individual categories is provided below, arranged in alphabetical order. After that, all prizes are listed in the order they were given, starting with the most recent.
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