John Spedan Lewis was the founder of the John Lewis Partnership: he was a skilled business man, but considered himself first and foremost a naturalist. He was a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London from 1933 until his death in 1963. The following year the John Spedan Lewis Foundation was established to support projects closely aligned to Spedan’s personal interests in the field of natural history.
The Trustees of the John Spedan Lewis Foundation decided to commission a medal to mark the 50th anniversary of the Foundation. The medal is now administered by the Linnean Society and awarded annually at the Anniversary Meeting of the Linnean Society of London to an individual who is making a significant and innovative contribution to conservation, particularly in the fields of either ornithology, entomology or horticulture in the United Kingdom. Current members of Council will be ineligible for the award. Nominations to Council should be made using the form below.
Website: https://www.linnean.org/the-society/medals-awards-prizes-grants/the-john-spedan-lewis-medal