The medal honors Rev. Davie’s decades of work to advance social justice, including 15 years at Union Theological Seminary.
New York, NY – Union Theological Seminary is proud to announce that Rev. Frederick A. Davie, Senior Executive Vice President for Public Theology and Civic Engagement, has been awarded the seminary’s highest honor: The Union Medal.
The Union Medal was first created in 1981 to recognize leaders who embody the mission of the seminary in the world. More than 48 global leaders who embody Union’s values have received the award – including Senator Raphael Warnock, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former White House Press Secretary Bill D. Moyers, TV producer and advocate Judith D. Moyers, labor activist Dolores Huerta, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Vice President Al Gore.
Rev. Fred Davie – a renowned faith leader, a relentless social justice advocate, and a longtime leader in the Union community – is a fitting addition to this esteemed list. As Rev. Davie retires from full-time employment after 44 years serving New York City – including 15 years serving Union – the award recognizes his unparalleled legacy.
“I am humbled to receive such an honor from a place I have called home for more than a decade and a half. This community is unlike any other: relentlessly committed to justice, full of genuine care for every individual, and dedicated to cultivating rigorous scholarship that actually moves the world. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I would not be the leader I am today without the students, faculty, staff, trustees, and other supporters who have walked the halls of this hallowed and impactful institution,” said Rev. Fred Davie. “At a moment when our nation faces multiple, compounding crises and our moral core is under siege, I can think of no more important place to be doing this work. Our school is uniquely positioned to offer a more compassionate moral vision for the nation, and the capacity to produce leaders to help advance it.”
Rev. Davie first joined Union as Executive Vice President in 2011. In this role, Rev. Davie collaborated with Union’s executive team and community members to hire first-class faculty, recruit superior students, right-size campus facilities, address decades of deferred maintenance and delayed capital improvements, raise financial resources, and amplify Union’s presence in the public square. He played a vital role in putting the institution on firm financial footing.
After 13 years in the position, he served as Senior Strategic Advisor for two years. Now, as Senior Executive Vice President for Public Theology and Civic Engagement, he leads Union’s efforts in public theology, strengthening the seminary’s role as a vital voice in public discourse and expanding community engagement both locally and around the globe.
Beyond Union’s walls, Rev. Davie has been a stalwart, outspoken advocate for justice and equity in the public square. Through unprecedented political crises and sharp partisan divides, he has consistently spoken out and pushed for policies that protect historically marginalized communities – including LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, incarcerated people, and communities of color. His advocacy offers an exemplary model of how faith can be put into action.
Rev. Davie also has a long record of civic and community leadership. In 2007, he gave a keynote address at an White House conference on the early success of a national faith-based re-entry program for the formerly incarcerated that he directed. He served on President Barack Obama’s transition team, where he performed agency reviews for faith-based and community initiatives. He was then appointed to the White House Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, where he helped develop strategies to improve collaboration between the White House, federal agencies, and community and faith organizations. He also served as Vice Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. He is an invited guest to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago in June.
Here in New York, Rev. Davie served as Chair of the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board, the nation’s largest independent civilian oversight agency of a police department, and as the inaugural Chair of the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. He was also appointed to the Racial Justice/Charter Reform Commission of the City of New York, where his work contributed to three NYC Charter changes to advance racial equity, approved by voters in 2021 by a wide margin.
Rev Davie is a member of the Racial Equity Advisory Board for NYC Mayor Mamdani and co-chairs the Interfaith Center of NY. He is also a trustee of his undergraduate alma mater Greensboro College and a recipient of Yale Divinity School’s Distinguished Alumnus award.Rev. Davie is married to Michael Adams, retired CEO of Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE).
Union President Rev. Dr. Serene Jones offered the following words in celebration of the award: “Rev. Fred Davie embodies everything the Union Medal was created to honor. For almost two decades, he has been central to this institution: a tireless advocate, a visionary leader, and a living example of faith put into action. From the corridors of the White House to the streets of New York City, Fred has fought relentlessly for justice, equity, and the dignity of every human being. It is one of my greatest joys to see him receive this recognition, and to call him a colleague and a friend.”
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About Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary (UTS), founded in 1836 in New York City, is a globally recognized seminary and graduate school of theology where religion and scholarship meet to reimagine the work of justice. A beacon for social justice and progressive change, Union Theological Seminary is led by a diverse group of theologians and activist leaders. Drawing on both Christian traditions and the insights of other religions, the institution is focused on educating leaders who can address critical issues like racial equity, criminal justice reform, income inequality, and protecting the environment. Union is led by Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, the 16th President and the first woman to head the 189-year-old seminary.