The Eugene V. Debs Award is an award accorded by the Eugene V. Debs Foundation, in Terre Haute, Indiana, each year since 1965 (apart from 1972 and 2020), honoring a person or organization whose work has been consistent with the spirit, values, and legacy of Eugene V. Debs and who has contributed to the advancement of the causes of industrial unionism, social justice, or world peace.
| Year | Recipient | Field | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | John L. Lewis | Industrial Unionism | Labor leader, served as president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960. |
| 1966 | Norman Thomas | World Peace | American Presbyterian minister who achieved fame as a socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. |
| 1967 | A. Philip Randolph | Industrial Unionism, Social Justice | Civil rights leader, labor leader, socialist political leader. |
| 1968 | Walter Reuther | Industrial Unionism | American labor union leader, who made the United Automobile Workers a major force not only in the auto industry but also in the Democratic Party and the Congress of Industrial Organizations in the mid 20th century. |
| 1969 | H.E. Gilbert | Industrial Unionism | President, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen |
| 1970 | Patrick E. Gorman | Industrial Unionism | President, Amalgamated Meat Cutters |
| 1971 | Dorothy Day | Social Justice, World Peace | American journalist, and social activist |
| 1973 | Michael Harrington | Social Justice | American democratic socialist, writer, and political activist |
| 1974 | Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. | Social Justice | American historian, social critic, and public intellectual |
| 1975 | Ruben Levin | Industrial Unionism | Founder, Labor Press Associates Manager and editor of LABOR magazine |
| 1976 | Martin H. Miller | Industrial Unionism | National Legislative Representative for the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen |
| 1977 | Frank Zeidler | Social Justice | American Socialist politician and Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 1978 | Jesse Jackson | Social Justice | American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician |
| 1979 | Pete Seeger | Social Justice | American folk singer and social activist |
| 1980 | William W. Winpisinger | Industrial Unionism | International President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers |
| 1981 | Kurt Vonnegut | Social Justice, World Peace | American writer |
| 1982 | Coretta Scott King | Social Justice | American author, activist, civil rights leader, and the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. |
| 1983 | Studs Terkel | Social Justice | American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster |
| 1984 | William H. Wynn | Industrial Unionism | Founder/Organizer, United Food and Commercial Workers |
| 1985 | Jack Sheinkman | Industrial Unionism | President, Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union |
| 1986 | Joseph L. Rauh Jr. | Social Justice | Civil rights and civil liberties attorney |
| 1987 | Ed Asner | Social Justice, Industrial Unionism | Actor, activist, president, Screen Actors Guild |
| 1988 | Joyce D. Miller | Social Justice, Industrial Unionism | Labor activist, feminist, founding member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women |
| 1989 | Morton Bahr | Industrial Unionism | President, Communications Workers of America |
| 1990 | Lynn R. Williams | Industrial Unionism | Canadian labour leader; President, United Steelworkers |
| 1991 | John Sayles | Social Justice | American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor and novelist |
| 1992 | Ralph Nader | Social Justice | American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney |
| 1993 | Dolores Huerta | Industrial Unionism, Social Justice | American labor leader and civil rights activist; Co-founder, National Farmworkers Association |
| 1994 | Richard Trumka | Industrial Unionism | Organized labor leader; President, United Mine Workers |
| 1995 | Jim Hightower | Social Justice | American syndicated columnist, progressive political activist, and author |
| 1996 | Victor Saul Navasky | Social Justice | American journalist, editor and academic |
| 1997 | John Sweeney | Industrial Unionism | Labor leader; President, AFL–CIO |
| 1998 | Howard Zinn | Social Justice, World Peace | American historian, playwright, and social activist |
| 1999 | Gloria Tapscott Johnson | Social Justice, Industrial Unionism | American unionist, labor feminist |
| 2000 | Michael Sullivan | Industrial Unionism | President, Sheet Metal Workers' International Association |
| 2001 | Al Chesser | Industrial Unionism | National Legislative Director, United Transportation Union |
| 2002 | Julian Bond | Social Justice | Social activist, civil rights leader, politician, professor and writer |
| 2003 | Molly Ivins | Social Justice | American newspaper columnist, author, political commentator, and humorist |
| 2004 | Bruce S. Raynor | Industrial Unionism | Unionist; President, Workers United; General President of UNITE HERE |
| 2005 | Thomas Frank | Social Justice | American political analyst, historian, journalist, and columnist |
| 2006 | Brave New Films | Social Justice | Media/news/documentary company |
| 2007 | Barbara Ehrenreich | Social Justice | American author and political activist |
| 2008 | Cecil Roberts | Industrial Unionism | President, United Mine Workers of America |
| 2009 | Ron Gettelfinger | Industrial Unionism | President, United Auto Workers |
| 2010 | Bobby Duvall | Social Justice | Human rights advocate |
| 2011 | Danny Glover | Social Justice | Actor, civil rights activist, political activist |
| 2012 | Clayola Brown | Industrial Unionism, Social Justice | Union leader, civil rights activist |
| 2013 | Eliseo Medina | Industrial Unionism, Social Justice | Mexican-American labor union activist |
| 2014 | Sara Horowitz | Industrial Unionism | Founder, Freelancers Union |
| 2015 | Jim Boland | Industrial Unionism | President, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers |
| 2016 | Cindy Sheehan | World Peace, Social Justice | Peace activist, political activist |
| 2017 | Jobs With Justice | Industrial Unionism, Social Justice | Labor equality organization |
| 2018 | William "Bill" Lucy | Industrial Unionism, Social Justice | Union leader, Civil rights activist |
| 2019 | Mary Kay Henry | on behalf of the SEIU [1] | Labor and civil rights activist |
| 2021 | Innocence Project | Social Justice | Legal advocacy organization |
| 2022 | A. Philip Randolph Institute | Industrial Unionism, Social Justice | African-American trade unionists organization |
| 2023 | Lynne Fox | Industrial Unionism | President, Workers United |
| 2024 | Sara Nelson | Industrial Unionism | President, Association of Flight Attendants |