WASHINGTON — A New York-based philanthropist who serves as chairman of the New-York Historical Society is one of 10 recipients of the National Humanities Medal, which President Bush presented at a White House ceremony yesterday.

The president cited Roger Hertog for his “enlightened philanthropy,” which has included support for the New York Public Library and the New York Philharmonic, in addition to the historical society. “His wisdom and generosity have rejuvenated the institutions that are the keepers of American memory,” Mr. Bush said.

A graduate of City College and the former president of the Wall Street firm Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., Mr. Hertog, 66, has also served as chairman of the Manhattan Institute and is one of the proprietors of The New York Sun, of which he was the founding chairman.

“He is a very successful businessman who has a deep commitment to this country,” the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Bruce Cole, said in an interview. Citing Mr. Hertog’s support and work for the historical society, Mr. Cole said Mr. Hertog had a keen understanding of the need to address what Mr. Cole called “America’s amnesia.”

“Democracy is not inborn,” Mr. Cole said. “It has to be passed from generation to generation.”

Calling the medal “a very high honor,” Mr. Hertog said yesterday that it made him feel “a little prouder to be an American.”

His associates describe him as “genuinely modest” — a characterization that certainly fits his initial reaction to receiving the award when he was told about it earlier this month. “I said I had thought they made a mistake,” he said. “My second reaction was, are you sure you want to go through with this?”

The president of the historical society, Louise Mirrer, was unsurprised at the honor for Mr. Hertog, saying he had “gone to extraordinary lengths, both with his generosity — his resources, and with his vision.” Congratulations also came in from the president of the Manhattan Institute, Lawrence Mone, who said the endowment “honored the right man today.”

Mr. Hertog, he said, “not only provided philanthropic support to our enterprise, but his visionary intellectual leadership helped us to optimize our public impact and policy influence.”

Ten cultural luminaries received the humanities medal yesterday, and another 10 were awarded the National Medal for the Arts. Among them were six New Yorkers, including the music innovator and electric guitar designer Les Paul, and Henry Steinway, who took his family’s renowned piano business and then went on to become a leading champion of music education. Both won for the arts. Also taking the arts honor were the patron Roy Neuberger and the painter Andrew Wyeth.

Recipients of the humanities medal included the Bronx-born author and literary critic Cynthia Ozick, and Russell Freedman, who writes children’s books about American history. Also honored were two Harvard University professors, Ruth Wisse, a scholar of Yiddish literature and Jewish culture, and Richard Pipes, a Cold War historian who served on the National Security Council under President Reagan.

Several hundred people are nominated for the medals each year, and recommendations are made to the president by the National Council on the Arts and the National Council on the Humanities.