The John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award – named for the legendary Georgetown head basketball coach emeritus, Washington, D.C. native, mentor, advocate and community leader – is awarded each year to an individual or group that has demonstrated outstanding service in Georgetown’s Jesuit tradition of being “women and men for others.”
Since 2003, past recipients – including civil rights icons Rosa Parks and Rev. Joseph Lowery, children’s advocate Marian Wright Edelman and humanitarian Dikembe Mutombo (C’91) – have included national and international civil rights and humanitarian leaders in recognition of a lifetime of achievement.
In 2012, the university awarded and celebrated an emerging local leader, Life Pieces to Masterpieces co-founder Mary Brown, to reinforce the university's commitment to engagement within Washington, D.C. The award has become a “talent-identifier” among the city’s most inspirational community leaders who are working to solve key issues responsible for shaping the city and the people who live in it.
A year’s commitment and sustained partnership with Georgetown also comes with the award that allows winners to leverage the honor for broader recognition for his or her community organization or cause.