January-February 2007 > John Harvard's Journal

Exemplary Contributors

With great pleasure, the editors recognize four contributors to Harvard Magazine during 2006, awarding each $1,000 for their distinguished service to readers.

Adam Kirsch

Debra Bradley Ruder

The McCord Writing Prize, named for David T.W. McCord ’21, A.M. ’22, L.H.D. ’56, recalls the lively prose and verse he wrote at this magazine and at the Harvard College Fund. This year’s prize honors, for the second time, contributing editor Adam Kirsch ’97, for “Rereading the Renaissance” (March-April) and the November-December cover story, a profile and assessment of poet Seamus Heaney. Kirschs wide reading and wonderful writing make literature fresh and important.

The Smith-Weld Prize—in the memories of A. Calvert Smith ’14, formerly secretary to Harvard’s governning boards and executive assistant to President James Bryant Conant, and Philip S. Weld ’36, former president of the magazine—celebrates thought-provoking journalism about the University. Debra Bradley Ruder’s feature, “Life Lessons” (January-February), presented compelling personal stories about medical students and their gravely ill patients, and in a September-October news account, she provided a lucid report on Harvard Medical School’s new curriculum.

Stuart Bradford

Jim Harrison

Illustrator Stuart Bradford insightfully interpreted the January-February cover story on how political opinions are formed and change, among his other resonant work during the year.

Photographer Jim Harrison, long a contributing editor, enlivened numerous articles, in assignments ranging from an illustrated feature on the reinstalled Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments (March-April) to portraits of departing President Lawrence H. Summers (September-October cover article). It is a pleasure to acknowledge his invaluable work again. Characteristically, Harrison continues to reinvent himself, practicing photography in a new medium in this issue (see “The Oracle of Aqua”).