The University of Notre Dame, School of Architecture, has honored former National Park Service Director Roger Kennedy with the $50,000 Henry Hope Reed Award. Each year Notre Dame gives this award to a nonarchitect who has supported the cultivation of the traditional city, its architecture, and art through writing, planning or promotion. The university presents the award in conjunction with the Richard H. Driehaus Prize for architects.

During his distinguished career, Roger Kennedy has worked as an editor, historian, journalist, banker and public servant. Before serving as director of the National Park Service from 1993-1997, he served on boards, commissions and tasks for six presidents.

Kennedy is the author of 12 books on American history, architectural history and public affairs. His works include “Greek Revival America”; “Orders from France”; and, in 2007, “Wildfire and Americans.” He is editor and co-editor of many others, including several on architecture and urban planning. In 2007 he co-edited with Austin Troy on “Living on the Edge: Economic, Institutional and Management Perspectives on Wildfire Hazard in the Wildland Urban Interface .” Kennedy was general editor and wrote the prefaces for each of the 12 volumes of "The Smithsonian Guide to Historic America. "
 
At NBC, Kennedy covered the White House and the Supreme Court and was a correspondent for “Monitor,” “The Today Show” and other news programs. In the 1970s he wrote and presented half-hour documentaries for regional PBS. And in the 1980s he was presenter and writer of two series for Discovery Channel: “Roger Kennedy’s Rediscovering America” and “The Smithsonian Presents Invention.”

Kennedy earned his bachelor's degree from Yale University and his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. He is an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects, has won the Silver Medal of the New York Film Critics and a variety of scholarly prizes and holds many honorary degrees.