Paul Ramsey (1913–1988) is regarded by many as one of the most important ethicists of the twentieth century. He served as Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion, Princeton University and was a distinguished and prolific writer on bioethics during the advent of the field in the early 1960s. Ramsey’s commitment to the sanctity and dignity of human life has shone with clarity and brightness as a beacon in the general darkness of academic bioethics for the past fifty years.

The Paul Ramsey Award is presented by the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network to those who have demonstrated exemplary achievement in the field of bioethics by equipping our society to face the challenges of the twenty-first century, defending the dignity of humankind, and embracing ethical biotechnology for the human good.