William Chester Jordan, the Dayton-Stockton Professor of History, emeritus, and the director of the Program in Medieval Studies, has received the 2024 Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters. He is among 10 recipients of the prize, awarded at an Oct. 23 ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

“Bridging the social, economic, religious, and political dimensions of life, William Chester Jordan has unlocked the mysteries of medieval Europe for contemporary readers,” the academy said in its citation. “His scholarship has deepened our understanding of such critical historical events and developments as the Great Famine, the Crusades, the treatment of Jewish populations, the contributions of women to premodern economies, and the legal systems of medieval monarchies.”

The citation also spotlighted the impact and importance of historical scholarship. “The Academy honors Dr. Jordan’s distinguished contribution to humanity’s capacity to make sense of its own past, that its present and future may be enriched by a larger understanding of its story.”

The AASL is a new learned society, established in 2023, which “encourages the fruitful exchange of ideas within academia and society at large,” according to its website.

Jordan has taught at Princeton for 50 years, since earning his Ph.D. in history from the University in 1973. He has received numerous honors, awards and honorary degrees throughout his illustrious career, but the Barry Prize stands out because of the organization’s ”emphasis on truth and freedom of expressing opinions,” he said.