Phi Beta Kappa, Harvard, 1956

Huntington Library Fellowship 1973-74

Melcher Prize for Henry Thoreau: A Life of the Mind, 1986

Forest History Prize for ditto,

Colorado Seminars Prize for ditto

Guggenheim Fellowship, 1990

Boston Public Library ‘Literary Light’ 1990

Melcher Prize for Emerson The Mind on Fire, 1995

Parkman Prize for ditto

Washington Irving Award for Literary Excellence for ditto

Dictionary of Literary Biography Award for a Distinguished Literary

Biography for ditto

National Book Critics Circle Award finalist for ditto

New York Times Book Review Notable book of 1995 for ditto

Winship/Pen New England award finalist for ditto

Special Award in Literature, American Academy of Arts and Letters, 1998

National Humanities Center Fellowship, 1999-2000

Thoreau Society Distinguished Achievement award, 2001

Emerson Society Distinguished achievement award, 2001

Dr of Humane Letters, Meadville-Lombard Theological School, 2003