King’s Crown Leadership Awards
The annual King’s Crown Leadership Awards are presented to students who have demonstrated exemplary leadership through their involvement in student organizations and activities at Columbia University. There are five categories for individual awardees and five for organizational awardees. Please see the descriptions below.
The Leadership Legend, Horizon, Community Builder, and Organization Achievement Leadership Awards are announced at the banquet. For information on RSVPing to this year's reception, please email us.
Gold, Silver, Bronze and Copper Crown Leadership Awards
The King’s Crown Awards Committee is assembled and charged with selecting recipients from among students who have been active in at least one recognized student organization, and who, with exemplary commitment and energy, have offered outstanding leadership to their groups and/or to the community.
The King’s Crown Awards are presented in four categories:
Gold Crown winners must be seniors active during their four year tenure, or seniors whose leadership for three years has been extraordinary. In addition, they have made a significant impact or contribution in a student organization. The Legend Award is considered the superlative for this category.
Silver Crown winners are juniors or seniors active for three years. In addition, they have demonstrated significant leadership for at approximately two years within a student organization.
Bronze Crowns winners are sophomores, juniors, or seniors who have demonstrated significant leadership roles in their organization/s for two years and who have contributed to a positive impact on the organization and/or community.
Copper Crowns winners are students from any academic year who have demonstrated significant leadership roles in at least one year of active student leadership.
Silver, Bronze, and Copper Crown Horizon winners are the students who best exemplify the criteria for their category and are most on the brink of transcending that category and reaching the next level of leadership. There is only one Horizon winner selected per category.
Horizon Awards
Silver, Bronze, and Copper Crown Horizon Awards are given to students who best exemplify the criteria for their Kings Crown Leadership Award and are most on the brink of transcending that category and reaching the next level of leadership. There is only one Horizon winner selected per award level.
Leadership Legend Awards
Leadership Legend Awards are presented to approximately 5-12 seniors who have met the general qualifications of the Gold Crown Award and have further distinguished themselves in one of the areas described below. These are the highest King's Crown Leadership Award honors.
Leadership Legend Pioneer
As a student leader, the nominee has been instrumental in the creation, revival or rehabilitation of a student organization, a major event or program, and/or student policy.
Leadership Legend Bridge Builder
As a student leader, the nominee has been pivotal in establishing or supporting connections between student groups and/or between student groups and the University administration.
Leadership Legend Indelible Mark
As a student leader, the nominee has in some capacity left an indelible mark on the Columbia community.
Community Builder Award
The Community Builder Award was created in 2008 to recognize a student who has demostrated outstanding commitment to community building over their four year tenure at the University.
Nominees may have assumed diverse leadership roles that span non-recognized student group participation such as opportunities as resident advisers, athletes, members of spirit organizations, administrative or departmental committees or teams, and/or community service leaders in the New York City environs, to name a few. Affiliations should include organizations of at least 50 individuals with a community building impact.
Named Awards
The following awards are nominated by staff members and presented to student recipients during the King's Crown Leadership Awards Ceremony.
Richard H. Fox Memorial Prize
A cash prize awarded to a Columbia College Senior who has shown for the College the greatest interest and helpfulness. The student must have participated in some non-athletic activities and must be one who combines intelligence with a kindly interest in his or her fellows.
Robert Shellow Gerdy Prize
A cash prize awarded to a Columbia College Senior who throughout the undergraduate years, has made a significant contribution as a member of the staff on one or more College student publications, especially Jester, Columbia Review, and Spectator.
Leonard A. Pullman Memorial Prize
Awarded to a Columbia College Senior who displays those qualities of outstanding scholarship and significant service to the College exemplified in the life of Leonard Pullman, Class of 1962. The recipient must occupy a position of responsibility in a non-athletic Columbia College activity. The student’s name is inscribed on a plaque in the student activities center.
Stanley I. Fishel / Zeta Beta Tau Prize
A cash prize awarded to a Columbia College fraternity member who has demonstrated leadership, academic achievement, and participation in athletics or other campus activities.
James Christopher Caraley Memorial Prize
A cash prize awarded to a Columbia College Junior who has demonstrated the greatest commitment to the value of preservation of the natural environment. This prize was established in memory of James Christopher Caraley, 1959– 1979, Class of 1981, by his family and friends.
Robert Harron Award
A cash prize awarded to a Columbia College Junior for qualities of grace and generosity. The prize was established by his friends in memory of Robert Harron who, in the course of his thirty years of service at Columbia, was Assistant to the President and Director of University Public Relations.
Milch Prize
A cash prize awarded to a Columbia College Junior who, by leadership in extracurricular as well as scholastic activities, has, in the judgment of instructors and classmates, done the most to enhance the reputation of Columbia College. The prize was established by Dr. and Mrs. Henry Milch.
Van Am Prize
Awarded to a Columbia College Sophomore most distinguished for service, character, and courtesy in relations with faculty members, fellow students, and visitors. A cash prize is awarded to the student activity of the winner’s choice. Established by the Class of 1898 on the occasion of its twenty-fifth anniversary.
Organization Achievement Leadership Award
The organization achievement awards are offered in conjunction with the King’s Crown individual leadership awards to distinguish those student organizations and student-led programs that have demonstrated exemplary leadership and have had a significant impact on Columbia’s campus and its surrounding community.
The five organizational awards are:
The Impact Award: awarded to those student organizations or programs that have had a significant impact on the campus community.
The Alma Mater Award: awarded to student organizations which best embody the ethic of community building at Columbia.
The Intergroup Award: awarded to student organizations which promote collaboration among the various student organizations and programs.
The Promise Award: awarded to recently recognized organizations with a demonstrable potential for postiive impact on the campus community as well as established student organizations in the process of restructuring their aims and objectives for an intended positive impact on the Columbia community.
The Best Program Award: awarded to the student-led program that has had the most significant impact on the Columbia community in the corresponding academic year.
Zvi Galil Award for Improvement in Engineering Student Life
The Zvi Galil Award was created in 2008 to honor the engineering-focused student group that most improves engineering student life during the academic year through a commitment to engineering or through integration of engineering with other sectors of the university. This organizational award is offered with a cash prize.