University of Oregon alumnus Johnpaul Jones will be awarded one of 12 National Humanities Medals by President Barack Obama on Monday, July 28, in a ceremony at the White House. The first architect to earn this award, Jones will be honored for his holistic architectural style that draws on his Native American – Cherokee and Choctaw – heritage.

The event will be live-streamed online starting at noon at www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Among the buildings and spaces Jones has designed are the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall in Washington, D.C.; the Vancouver Land Bridge in southwest Washington and the Mercer Slough Nature Park in Bellevue, Washington; and the Many Nations Longhouse on the University of Oregon campus.

Jones, a partner at Jones and Jones in Seattle, earned his bachelor's degree in architecture from the UO in 1967. In 1998 he was awarded the School of Architecture and Allied Arts's inaugural Ellis F. Lawrence Medal for his distinguished career.