Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of the New-York Historical Society, passionately conveyed the role our nation’s founding principles played in advancing justice and freedom, and stressed how important it is that college students understand these principles. Mirrer has dedicated her life to teaching Americans about America’s exceptional history. Her remarks were given upon accepting the 2014 Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education, with tributes from Roger Hertog, businessman and philanthropist; historian and biographer, Robert Caro; and Benno C. Schmidt, chairman of the City University of New York Board of Trustees and 2010 Merrill Award recipient. The 2014 presentation marked the Merrill Award’s tenth anniversary.