Duke University historian John Hope Franklin has won the 2006 John W. Kluge Prize for the Study of Humanity, a lifetime achievement award worth $1 million.
The award, announced today by the Library of Congress, also was given to Yu Ying-shih, retired professor of Asian studies and history at Princeton University.
Franklin, 91, was recognized for his pioneering work that examined how African-Americans shaped the nation. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, in a statement about Franklin, said: "The transformation he has helped bring about in how we think about American history and society will stand as his lasting intellectual legacy."
Franklin's landmark survey of black history, "From Slavery to Freedom," was published in 1947 and has introduced hundreds of thousands of students to the African-American experience.
In 1997, Franklin was appointed by President Clinton to lead a national discussion on race.
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