The Gold Medal has been granted every year since 1930 (except during World War II) “in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York.”
The prestigious list of honorees includes civil servants like Robert Moses, E. Virgil Conway and Ray Kelly; Mayors Fiorello LaGuardia, Robert Wagner and Rudy Giuliani; entertainers Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers and Tony Randall; corporate stalwarts like the Rockefellers; and city icons such as Carnegie Hall, the Museum of the City of New York and the New York Post.
In 2007, the award was named after long-time Association Chairman, Richard A. Cook.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was the Association's 2008 Gold Medal honoree.
List of Past Gold Medal Honorees
1930s
1930 - The Honorable Julius Miller
1931 - Mr. Harvey Dow Gibson
1932 - The Honorable Samuel Seabury
1933 - The Honorable Grover A. Whalen
1934 - The Honorable Robert Moses
1935 - Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
1936 - The Honorable Thomas E. Dewey
1937 - Mr. James Speyer
1938 - Mrs. August Belmont
1939 - Mr. Cleveland E. Dodge
Lachlan Murdoch accepts the 2004 Gold Medal for The New York Post with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade.
1940s
1940 - The Honorable Fiorello H. LaGuardia
*** No Awardees During World War II ***
1946 - His Eminence Francis Cardinal Spellman, Mrs. Ogden Reid
1947 - Mr. Frederick H. Ecker
1948 - The Honorable William O‘Dwyer
1949 - Dr. Millicent C. McIntosh
1950s
1950 - Mr. Oscar Hammerstein I, Mr. Richard Rodgers
1951 - Mr. Alfred P. Sloan, Jr.
1952 - The Honorable Howard S. Cullman
1953 - The Honorable John Hay Whitney
1954 - Mr. Arthur Hays Sulzberger
1955 - Brigadier General David Sarnoff
1956 - The Honorable Robert J. Wagner
1957 - Mr. Keith S. McHugh
1958 - Mr. Samuel D. Leidesdorf
1959 - Mr. John D. Rockefeller III
1940 Gold Medal honoree Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia
1960s
1960 - Dr. Howard A. Rusk
1961 - Mrs. Charles S. Guggenheimer
1962 - The Honorable James A. Farley
1963 - The Honorable Paul R. Screvane
1964 - Mr. Edmund F. Wagner
1965 - Mr. David Rockefeller
1966 - Mr. Austin J. Tobin
1967 - Mr. John A. Coleman
1968 - Mr. Gustave L. Levy
1969 - Mr. J. Victor Herd
1965 Gold Medal Award winner David Rockefeller
1970s
1970 - Mr. Jack I. Straus
1971 - Mr. William S. Renchard
1972 - Mr. Robert S. Curtiss
1973 - Mr. Gilbert W. Fitzhugh
1974 - Mr. Leonard H. Goldenson
1975 - Mr. George Champion
1976 - Mr. William M. Ellinghaus
1977 - Mr. Ellmore C. Patterson
1978 - Mr. J. Henry Smith
1979 - Mr. Charles F. Luce
Longtime Association Chairman, Richard A. Cook and 2005 honoree Robert M. Morgenthau
1980s
1980 - Mr. Harry B. Helmsley
1981 - Mr. Richard R. Shinn
1982 - Museum of the City of New York
1983 - Dr. Edward J. Mortola
1984 - Mr. J. Peter Grace
1985 - Mr. Gene F. Jankowski
1986 - Mr. E. Virgil Conway
1987 - Mr. Edmund T. Pratt, Jr.
1988 - Mr. Delbert C. Staley
1989 - Mr. John J. Phelan, Jr.
Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani receives the Association's 1998 Gold Medal Award
1990s
1990 - Mr. Felix G. Rohatyn
1991 - Carnegie Hall
1992 - Mr. William R. Chaney
1993 - Mr. Tony Randall
1994 - Mr. John F. McGillicuddy
1995 - Mr. David A. Olsen
1996 - Mr. Kenneth J. Gorman
1997 - Mr. Simon J. Critchell
1998 - The Honorable Rudolph W. Giuliani
1999 - Mr. Robert R. Douglass
Fordham University kicked off their dodransbicentennial with the Gold Medal award in 2017
2000s
2000 - Mr. Robert M. Johnson
2001 - Mr. Robert B. Catell and Mr. Charles J. Hamm
2002 - Mr. Charles J. Urstadt
2003 - The Right Reverend Mark S. Sisk
2004 - The New York Post
2005 - The Honorable Robert M. Morgenthau
2006 - The Honorable Raymond W. Kelly
2007 - John C. Cushman, III
2008 - The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
2009 - The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
1999 Gold Medal Awardee Robert R. Douglass and 2002 Gold Medal Honoree Charles J. Urstadt
2010s
2010 - Mr. Ralph K. Smith
2011 - The Crew of US Airways Flight 1549
2012 - Dominick M. Servedio
2013 - The Hotel Association of New York President Joseph Spinnato
2014 - The Actors Fund
2015 - Jaros Baum & Bolles
The Fire Department of the City of New York
2016 - Richmond County Savings Bank
2017 - Fordham University
2018 - Joel A. Dolci
2019 - New York Society of Association Executives (NYSAE)
Fraunces Tavern
2018 honoree Joel Dolci accepts the 2019 Gold Medal on behalf of the NYSAE
2020s
2020 - American Council of Engineering Companies
New York Building Congress
2021 - Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
2022 - Milestone Celebration
2023 - AFCEA International
2024 - E-J Electric Installation Co.
In 2020, the Association held its first (and only) "virtual" Gold Medal Award ceremony