The award is named after Danish American screen actor and humanitarian Jean Hersholt ( 1886 – 1956 ) , who served as president of the Motion Picture Relief Fund for 18 years . He also served as president of AMPAS from 1945 to 1949 . Winners of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award are presented with an Academy Award Oscar statuette . As of the 88th Academy Awards , there have been 38 awards presented , two of which were posthumous
88th Academy Awards
88th Academy Awards
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award