According to the Archives Partnership Trust, the award ceremony was part of a public discussion with nationally prominent Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer scheduled for Tuesday night in Albany, N.Y.
Dreyfuss launched The Dreyfuss Initiative last year to spur interest in strengthening American democracy by promoting civics education. His films include "Jaws" and "The Goodbye Girl," for which he won an Academy Award for best actor.
Other recipients of the award include actor Sam Waterston and historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Henry Louis Gates Jr.
The Archives Partnership Trust is a non-profit that supports the New York State Archives.
