Alumni Awards

Each year, the Macalester College Alumni Board recognizes alumni who exemplify Macalester values through their leadership, achievement, and active involvement with their local community. Throughout the years, Alumni Award winners have been lawyers, activists, and humanitarians. They have mentored underrepresented high school students in college access programs, served in the Peace Corps, and done public health work all around the world. They have worked tirelessly with the United Nations, NAACP, the League of Women Voters, local government, and faith communities around the country and the world.

If you have questions about the awards process, please contact the Alumni Engagement Office at [email protected] or call 651-696-6295.

What are the Macalester Alumni Awards?

Alumni Awards are one way by which the Macalester community comes together to honor alumni who best exemplify our college’s values. The awards have been given annually to Macalester alumni since 1949 and the tradition continues today under the leadership of the Alumni Board Nominations Committee. All alumni, staff, faculty, and friends of the college are welcome to submit nominations.

Award Categories

Alumni nominations are accepted for four categories of alumni awards: the Catharine Lealtad ’15 Service to Society Award, the Charles J. Turck Global Citizen Award, the Distinguished Citizen Award, and the Young Alumni Award. The Alumni Service Award recipient is nominated by Macalester staff.

Every year, we count on you to tell us which alumni deserve to be honored by Macalester with an Alumni Award. View the description and criteria for each of the categories online here.

2025 Alumni Awards Cycle

Nominations for the 2025 cycle are now open.