News Release                                                                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                                   Press Contact: Sharon McCarter

                                                                                                               Phone: (202) 691-4016

                                                            sharon.mccarter@wilsoncenter.org

Release no. 63-09

September 1, 2009

Woodrow Wilson Awards Dinner Will Honor

Nicholas Negroponte and John Henry in Boston

WASHINGTON—The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution will present the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service to Nicholas Negroponte and the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship to John W. Henry, at a dinner to be held on November 19, 2009, at the Fairmont Copley Hotel in Boston. Larry Lucchino, President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox will serve as Dinner Chairman for the event with the Honorable John and Mrs. Diana Negroponte serving as co-chairs.

“Both of these honorees personify the attributes we seek to honor and practice at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Their contributions to the Greater Boston Area, the nation, and indeed much of the world have been significant, and it gives me great pleasure that our Board of Trustees has chosen to recognize such worthy honorees,” said Lee H. Hamilton, president and director of the Woodrow Wilson Center. 

Professor Nicholas Negroponte has combined his knowledge, technical expertise, and humanitarian spirit to empower the children of developing nations, equipping them with the computer resources necessary to advance their opportunities. He is the Founder and Chairman of One Laptop Per Child, a project that provides low-cost, low-power, and highly efficient laptops to disenfranchised children across the globe. Since its inception, more than two million children have received laptops. He has also been instrumental in the creation and directing of the MIT Media Laboratory, a research center focused exclusively on study and experimentation with future forms of human communication, including several programs specific to technology and education in underdeveloped nations.

Throughout his distinguished career Negroponte has exhibited his commitment to the concept of promoting human development through technology and among his other accomplishments, founded the Architecture Machine Group, which is responsible for innovative approaches to the human-computer interface. He has dedicated his career to ensuring that technology and information are widely accessible to all people, regardless of geography or economic situation.

John W. Henry is the Founder and Chairman of John W. Henry & Company, Inc. (JWH), one of the longest established managed futures advisors in the world, and the Principal Owner of the Boston Red Sox.  During his tenure at the Red Sox, Henry has overseen the rebirth of one of the most historic franchises of Major League Baseball (MLB), as after an 86-year struggle the team won coveted World Series championship titles in 2004 and in 2007. 

In addition to bringing home championships, the Red Sox organization has made significant contributions to the community, particularly through The Red Sox Foundation (RSF). Established in 2002, the Red Sox Foundation has become the largest charitable organization in MLB and the largest sports charity in New England. It has also enhanced the Red Sox 56-year partnership with the Jimmy Fund, promoting the advancement of educational and societal well-being in Boston and throughout New England.  

After years of privately supporting many charitable organizations, in 2004 Henry established the John W. Henry Family Foundation to promote child development, support local educational initiatives, and to fund clinical programs and research in stem cells and mind/body. Since its inception, the John W. Henry Family Foundation has supported numerous charitable organizations in New England and in Florida, the most notable of which is the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, established by the U.S. Congress in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the living, national memorial to the United States’ 28th president. The Center is one of three American institutions (along with the National Gallery of Art and the Kennedy Center) created by congressional statute to perform a national mission within the Smithsonian Institution and is governed by its own independent Board of Trustees appointed by the U.S. President.

A nonpartisan institution supported by public and private funds, the Center explores national and global issues through free, open, and informed dialogue. The Honorable Joseph B. Gildenhorn is chairman of the Board of Trustees, and previously served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland (1983-1993).  Lee H. Hamilton, president and director of the Woodrow Wilson Center, served as a member of Congress for 34 years and provided service as vice chairman of the independent 9/11 Commission. He also recently served as co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group with former Secretary of State James Baker.

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For information please contact:

Press Contact: Sharon McCarter

Phone: (202) 691-4016

Email: sharon.mccarter@wilsoncenter.org

Event Contact: Judi Kaplan Elkin

Phone: (617) 529-1054

Email: jkelkin@comcast.net