Each year, the Academy honors individuals for exceptional service to Exeter and the world through three awards. We invite you to nominate members within our community whose accomplishments are most deserving of special recognition.
The Founders' Day Award * is given to an alumnus, alumna, faculty emeritus or emerita, retired staff member, parent or friend who has demonstrated exceptional service to the Academy. The nominee must be living at the time of the nomination and whose extraordinary service was provided over a period of time, usually five years or more.
The John and Elizabeth Phillips Award * is given to an alumnus or alumna of the Academy, still living at the time of nomination, whose life demonstrates co-founders John and Elizabeth Phillips' ideal of goodness and knowledge united in noble character and usefulness to mankind. The nominee should have contributed significantly to the welfare of community, country or humanity, beyond any volunteer service to the Academy.
The President's Award is given by the president of the General Alumni Association (GAA) to an alumnus or alumna volunteer who has made outstanding contributions to promoting the activities and goals of the Academy within the past two years. Such contributions include: exceptional work within a PEA-defined volunteer role such as class officer or class agent, making an innovative enhancement to the Exeter community or performing other extraordinary types of service.
* In January 2019, the Academy Trustees approved a change to the name of two awards in recognition of Elizabeth Phillips’ contribution to the founding of the school. These awards will now be known as the Founders’ Day Award and the John and Elizabeth Phillips Award.
