A secretary of State during the Reagan administration, George Shultz, credited diplomacy and determination with the success of the American movement to free Soviet Jewry in the 1980s at a dinner last night honoring him for his work in that effort.

Speaking at the American Jewish Historical Society’s annual Emma Lazarus Statue of Liberty Awards dinner at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, Mr. Shultz outlined his efforts, both personal and professional. Underscoring the importance of human rights, he said, “If we ever are to live in a civilized world, what was accomplished for the Soviet Jews must become the rule, not the exception.”

He was introduced by the deputy speaker of the Israeli Knesset and a former refusenik, Yuli Edelstein.

Mr. Shultz, who served as secretary of state from 1982 to 1988, paid tribute to President Reagan, whom he called a “hero” for prioritizing human rights and Soviet Jewry. “Ronald Reagan knew that the Soviet Union was an evil empire,” he said, “His vision saw that change was possible. I agreed wholeheartedly.”

Mr. Shultz said the administration at the time had inherited a relationship with the former Soviet Union that was tied to the concept of “linkage” between immigration rights and broader Moscow-Washington relations.

“Above all, Ronald Reagan was determined to pursue freedom for Soviet Jewry no matter what else was going on,” he said.

During the course of his speech, Mr. Shultz also chronicled his meetings with Soviet leaders and activists over the years. “Our efforts were followed by enormous consequences,” he said.

Last night, Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel presented Mr. Shultz with the award at a dinner commemorating the movement to free Soviet Jewry. AJHS, which is based in Manhattan near Union Square, is compiling an archive of artifacts and papers to document that era.