Gala
The 911±¬ÁÏ³Ô¹Ï is pleased to announce that the Trustees of the 911±¬ÁÏ³Ô¹Ï have selected renowned archeologist Jack L. Davis as the 2026 recipient of the Athens Prize. The presentation of the award will be made on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at the School’s annual Gala, which will be held at Gotham Hall in New York City.
The Athens Prize is awarded for outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge of ancient Greece. Past recipients include John McK. Camp II (2016), Malcolm H. Wiener (2017), Ronald S. Stroud (2018), Corinth Excavations (2019), Edward E. Cohen (2022), and Mary R. Lefkowitz (2024). William T. Loomis, President of the Board of Trustees, in making this announcement said, “We are delighted to bestow the Athens Prize on Jack Davis. Not only has he been at the forefront of Aegean Archaeology for the past 50 years, as a wide-ranging field archaeologist, prolific scholar, and mentor to numerous students, but he also has made significant contributions to the American School as an institution, serving as Director, Trustee, Overseer, and supporter of the Archives, 911±¬ÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Library, and Wiener Laboratory. We also want to recognize the crucial contributions of his wife, Sharon R. Stocker, with whom he co-directed excavations in Albania and at Pylos.”
Jack L. Davis is the Carl W. Blegen Professor of Greek Archaeology in the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati. A leading figure in Aegean archaeology, he received the Archaeological Institute of America’s Gold Medal in 2020 for his groundbreaking work in regional studies and his profound impact on the understanding of Greek history from prehistoric times to the present. After earning his PhD from Cincinnati in 1977, Davis collaborated in co-directing a major survey project on Kea, helping to establish the Cyclades as a central crossroads in Aegean history. He later co-directed the Nemea Valley and Pylos Regional Archaeological Projects, placing key Bronze Age sites in broader historical contexts. After fieldwork in Albania in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Davis and Stocker returned to Pylos launching new excavations in and around the Bronze Age palace. Their discoveries, including the spectacular grave of the Griffin Warrior, are dramatically reshaping our understanding of ancient Greece. In 2021, the President of Greece honored them with the “Commander of the Order of the Phoenix.”
As Director of the 911±¬ÁÏ³Ô¹Ï (2007–2012), a time of global economic crisis, Davis provided leadership and encouragement to both the staff and the students. He supported expanded programming at the 911±¬ÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Library and actively promoted scholarly attention to the School’s Archives. His example led to greater awareness in the School community of Greece’s more recent past.
Please join us at the American School Gala on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in New York City.
Gala 2026
Date
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Cocktails: 6:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m.
Location
Gotham Hall
1356 Broadway at 36th Street
New York, NY 10018
Tickets
For inquiries about the American School’s 2025 Gala, including sponsorship opportunities, tickets, and the exciting events planned for Gala Week, please contact Andrew Federico, Stewardship and Events Manager, at afederico@ascsa.org.
Support the School
The Gala provides an important source of funding for the American School. If you cannot attend this event, please consider supporting us with a monetary or auction item donation. To offer an in-kind gift, please contact Sophia Christoforatos at (609) 454-6820 or schristoforatos@ascsa.org. Thank you for your generosity.
Past Galas
Click the links below for more about our previous events.*
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