Sam Mihara, who was incarcerated at the Heart Mountain confinement site as a child during World War II, has been chosen to give the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Jefferson Lecture on Jan. 15, 2025, at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) in Los Angeles.

“Sam is a giant and a most appropriate recipient for this tremendous honor,” said Aura Sunada Newlin, executive director of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. “His skill in relaying personal stories of both tragedy and triumph makes audiences of all ages feel a connection to our incarceration history.”

Mihara is the first Japanese American to give the lecture, which was first presented in 1972. At 91, he is the oldest recipient of the honor and the only rocket scientist.

He joins an illustrious group of historians, artists, authors and educators that includes luminaries such as David McCullough, Arthur Miller, Henry Louis Gates, Saul Bellow, Barbara Tuchman, Toni Morrison and Ken Burns. 

Mihara was selected to present the lecture by NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo), who saw his presentation at the annual Heart Mountain Pilgrimage last July. Since 2011, Mihara has spoken in person to more than 100,000 people about the Japanese American incarceration. 

“Sam Mihara has made it a personal mission to educate people across the world about this painful chapter of American history. Through research and reflection on his own experience, Sam shares personal insight on how to learn from history and find unity,” Lowe said. “His dedication stands as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the courage of all those who endured suffering and injustice. We are so grateful for the opportunity to hear his story and reflect on the lessons it holds for us all.”

A native of San Francisco, Mihara and his family were forced from their home and incarcerated at Heart Mountain. While there, he watched his grandfather die from mistreated cancer and his father go blind because he was denied access to his doctors in California. After the war, Mihara became a rocket scientist for Boeing.

“Sam first returned to Heart Mountain in 2011 when we opened our award-winning museum,” said Shirley Ann Higuchi, chair of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. “He was overwhelmed by the support he received, and he has now made it his life mission to educate the public about the Japanese American incarceration.”

The lecture will be livestreamed from the museum by the NEH. The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation will also host an event featuring the lecture.