The American Law Institute presented the John Minor Wisdom Award to Kenneth C. Frazier at this year’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 20. The award was presented to Frazier by ALI Director Diane P. Wood.
Wisdom Award is given from time to time in specific recognition of an ALI member’s contributions to the work of the Institute or a person’s outstanding achievement in the area of civil rights and related fields following the example of Judge Wisdom.
Frazier is the former Chairman and CEO of Merck, following his retirement after more than 30 years with the company, including a decade-long tenure as CEO. He is now serving as Chairman of General Catalyst’s Health Assurance Initiatives, where he advises on investments and partnerships for companies that are well-positioned to help transform the healthcare industry through collaborative and responsible innovation.
Frazier was elected to The American Law Institute in 1996 and to its Council in 2003. He is currently serving as an Adviser to ALI’s Restatements on Corporate Governance and Election Litigation, and previously served as an Adviser on the recently completed Principles of the Law Policing.
Prior to joining Merck in 1992, Frazier was a Partner with Drinker Biddle & Reath (now Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath). Upon retiring from Merck, Frazier has devoted himself to organizations dedicated to building greater opportunity for all people. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of OneTen, a coalition of leading organizations committed to upskilling, hiring, and promoting one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs.
He serves on the boards of numerous nonprofits, including the National Constitution Center, Cornerstone Christian Academy in Philadelphia, Weill Cornell Medicine, and the Smithsonian Institution’s Advisory Council for the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Additionally, he sits on the boards of Eikon Therapeutics and Paradigm. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Bar Association, and a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Frazier is Co-Chair of the Legal Services Corporation’s Leaders Council.
Frazier is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, especially in the legal, business, and humanitarian fields. He was named one of the World’s Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine and was also named TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, twice. He became the first recipient of the Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award for Healthcare and his peers named Frazier Chief Executive magazine’s CEO of the Year.