Eisenhower Fellowships
Encyclopedia
Eisenhower Fellowships is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization created in 1953 by a group of prominent American citizens to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his contribution to humanity as a soldier, statesman, and world leader. The organization engages mid-career (age 32-45) professionals from around the world to enhance their leadership skills, broaden their network of contacts, deepen their global perspectives, and unite them in a diverse, global community where dialogue, understanding, and collaboration lead to a more prosperous, just, and peaceful world.
Each Fellow receives an individualized five to seven week itinerary of consultations with experts and senior officials in government, industry, academia, the arts and the not-for profit sector. The Multi Nation Program brings 20 – 25 Fellows from countries around the world in all sectors to the U.S. each spring. Each fall a Single Nation, Single Region or Common Interest Program brings to the U.S. a similar number of Fellows. The USA Program sends 8 – 10 Americans abroad, including at least one U.S. farmer or rancher, to gain international exposure to people, institutions, technologies and ideas.
Fellows are identified by blue-ribbon committees in 48 countries and four U.S. locales (New England, Philadelphia, Research Triangle-NC and St. Louis). They identify men and women who have demonstrated significant achievement and are poised to assume positions of substantial influence in their fields. Eisenhower Fellows regularly attain higher positions after they have been award the fellowship . More than half of all Eisenhower Fellowships alumni indicate that they have been involved in fostering societal change at some point after their fellowship travels.
Since the organization’s founding, nearly 2,000 men and women have been awarded fellowships, forming a global network of leaders. Alumni Fellows are located in over 100 countries, including heads of government, cabinet level officials, national legislators, provincial governors, university presidents, and CEOs of corporations and non-profit organizations who engage with other Fellows and with other members of the Eisenhower network .
’s first birthday in the White House
. Eisenhower Fellowships was different from existing fellowship and exchange programs in all parts of the world because Fellows were chosen by nominating committees and awarded to mid-career professionals from all sectors of society, not just academia. Fellows have come from a number of diverse fields which vary year-to-year as the nominating committees respond to the current international needs. The programs were designed to allow the fellows an individual experience in which they travel to another country and interact with professional peers to expand their worldviews and gain cultural experiences as well as interact with other Fellows.
in 1956 massively contributed to the prestige and abilities of the program. In the first decade, the size of yearly Fellow cohorts grew each year and from 1954 to 1964, the number of participating countries more than doubled.
in 1976, one hundred and one Fellows from fifty six countries convened in San Francisco for EF’s First World Forum. The strength of the international alumni presence inspired the EF Trustees to name five international Fellows to the board. In 1977, President Gerald R. Ford was appointed president.
and John Eisenhower responded to fundraising challenges by helping to get a grant from the U.S. Congress for $7.5 million. The grant allowed EF to expand its programs and reach. In 1986, the first Single Nation Program was introduced. Prior to 1986, Multi-Nation Programs had only allowed one fellowship to be granted to each participating country. Single Nation Programs allow a closer focus and were launched in 1986 with six Fellows from the Philippines
. In 1988 the first Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service was awarded to Ambassadors Walter Annenberg
and Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
. In 1989, the USA Fellow Program returned after a 26-year hiatus, which brought EF to three yearly programs (the Multi-Nation Program, the Single Nation Program, and the USA Fellow Program) with fifty Fellows.
the following year. In the next eighteen years, eleven other countries hosted EF conferences. In 1991, legislation sponsored by Senator Bob Dole and Representative Pat Roberts
established a permanent endowment for EF in honor of President Eisenhower.
Single Area Programs in the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
and Fellows from Bulgaria
and Romania
in the early 90s demonstrated EF’s response to changing political conditions and support for emerging democracies. A Single Nation Program in South Africa
for nine Fellows was run in 1994 after the country elected its first truly democratic government.
Program was held.
and productivity through person-to-person international dialogue. Notable recipients include Presidents Gerald Ford
and George H.W. Bush, United States Secretaries of State Colin Powell
, Henry Kissinger
and George Shultz, U.S. Treasury Secretary Douglas Dillon, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan
, Nobel Prize
winner and economist Dr. Amartya Sen
, Professor Muhammad Yunus
, and founding Trustees Ambassadors Walter H. Annenberg and Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
The Eisenhower Medal is conferred annually at a private gala dinner with Trustees, sponsors, and Fellows.
Each Fellow receives an individualized five to seven week itinerary of consultations with experts and senior officials in government, industry, academia, the arts and the not-for profit sector. The Multi Nation Program brings 20 – 25 Fellows from countries around the world in all sectors to the U.S. each spring. Each fall a Single Nation, Single Region or Common Interest Program brings to the U.S. a similar number of Fellows. The USA Program sends 8 – 10 Americans abroad, including at least one U.S. farmer or rancher, to gain international exposure to people, institutions, technologies and ideas.
Fellows are identified by blue-ribbon committees in 48 countries and four U.S. locales (New England, Philadelphia, Research Triangle-NC and St. Louis). They identify men and women who have demonstrated significant achievement and are poised to assume positions of substantial influence in their fields. Eisenhower Fellows regularly attain higher positions after they have been award the fellowship . More than half of all Eisenhower Fellowships alumni indicate that they have been involved in fostering societal change at some point after their fellowship travels.
Since the organization’s founding, nearly 2,000 men and women have been awarded fellowships, forming a global network of leaders. Alumni Fellows are located in over 100 countries, including heads of government, cabinet level officials, national legislators, provincial governors, university presidents, and CEOs of corporations and non-profit organizations who engage with other Fellows and with other members of the Eisenhower network .
History
In 1953, Thomas Bayard McCabe led a group of Pennsylvania businessmen in the establishment of Eisenhower Fellowships to commemorate President Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
’s first birthday in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. Eisenhower Fellowships was different from existing fellowship and exchange programs in all parts of the world because Fellows were chosen by nominating committees and awarded to mid-career professionals from all sectors of society, not just academia. Fellows have come from a number of diverse fields which vary year-to-year as the nominating committees respond to the current international needs. The programs were designed to allow the fellows an individual experience in which they travel to another country and interact with professional peers to expand their worldviews and gain cultural experiences as well as interact with other Fellows.
1950s
Sixteen fellowships were awarded in 1954 to three Americans and thirteen men from overseas. Initially, all funds came from the fundraising efforts of the EF Board of Trustees, but a ten-year $600,000 grant from the Ford FoundationFord Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
in 1956 massively contributed to the prestige and abilities of the program. In the first decade, the size of yearly Fellow cohorts grew each year and from 1954 to 1964, the number of participating countries more than doubled.
1960s
As had been suggested by the first Fellows, each year’s program included at least two seminars where Fellows met and shared experiences. Yearly newsletters and three international alumni conferences strengthened the bonds among old friends and created new linkages. A second Ford Foundation grant in 1967 encouraged EF to experiment with larger programs. In 1961 the first Eisenhower regional conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland, and in the same year, the first female Fellow, Dr. Pilar G. Villegas, was named. In 1963, the USA Fellow program was suspended temporarily.1970s
As the U.S. celebrated its bicentennialUnited States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
in 1976, one hundred and one Fellows from fifty six countries convened in San Francisco for EF’s First World Forum. The strength of the international alumni presence inspired the EF Trustees to name five international Fellows to the board. In 1977, President Gerald R. Ford was appointed president.
1980s
President Gerald FordGerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
and John Eisenhower responded to fundraising challenges by helping to get a grant from the U.S. Congress for $7.5 million. The grant allowed EF to expand its programs and reach. In 1986, the first Single Nation Program was introduced. Prior to 1986, Multi-Nation Programs had only allowed one fellowship to be granted to each participating country. Single Nation Programs allow a closer focus and were launched in 1986 with six Fellows from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. In 1988 the first Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service was awarded to Ambassadors Walter Annenberg
Walter Annenberg
Walter Hubert Annenberg was an American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat.-Early life:Walter Annenberg was born to a Jewish family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 13, 1908. He was the son of Sarah and Moses "Moe" Annenberg, who published The Daily Racing Form and purchased The Philadelphia...
and Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
Thomas John Watson, Jr. was an American businessman, political figure, and philanthropist. He was the 2nd president of IBM , the 11th national president of the Boy Scouts of America , and the 16th United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union...
. In 1989, the USA Fellow Program returned after a 26-year hiatus, which brought EF to three yearly programs (the Multi-Nation Program, the Single Nation Program, and the USA Fellow Program) with fifty Fellows.
1990s
EF celebrated the centennial of President Eisenhower’s birth in 1990 at its second World Forum called “From Fellowship to Partnership” in Philadelphia. This time, over two hundred Fellows from 63 countries gathered. The enthusiastic response motivated the Turkish Fellows to hold a reunion conference in TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
the following year. In the next eighteen years, eleven other countries hosted EF conferences. In 1991, legislation sponsored by Senator Bob Dole and Representative Pat Roberts
Pat Roberts
Charles Patrick "Pat" Roberts is the senior United States Senator from Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he has served since 1997...
established a permanent endowment for EF in honor of President Eisenhower.
Single Area Programs in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and Fellows from Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
in the early 90s demonstrated EF’s response to changing political conditions and support for emerging democracies. A Single Nation Program in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
for nine Fellows was run in 1994 after the country elected its first truly democratic government.
2000s
In its sixth decade, Eisenhower Fellowships developed additional programs and foci. In 2003, EF celebrated its 50th Multi Nation Program and 50th Anniversary Conference in Philadelphia called “Connecting Global Leaders.” USA Fellows started choosing their fellowship destination(s) from a list of 27 countries on six continents. The Multi-Nation and Single-Nation programs continued, but the addition of Regional Programs, three in Asia, and one each in Latin America and the Middle East, were implemented to develop stronger international ties between countries in similar areas. In 2007 and 2009, two Common Interest Programs were introduced with Fellows from the United States and from overseas participating. In 2010, the first Women's LeadershipLeadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
Program was held.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award
In 2008, EF established the Distinguished Alumnus Award to recognize an alumnus or alumna who has demonstrated a significant contribution to his or her field of endeavor, and leadership in the Eisenhower Fellowships alumni network. The recipient’s post-fellowship activities must reflect President Eisenhower’s commitment to peace and productivity by working through direct personal contacts across boundaries. Open to anyone who has completed an Eisenhower Fellowship since the program was founded in 1953, it is presented at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees.Awardees
- 2008: Eisenhower Fellows of the Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... - 2009: Nezir Kirdar, ‘57, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... - 2010: Sister Mary Scullion, ’02, USA
The Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service
In 1988, the EF Board of Trustees established the Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service. It is awarded annually to a business leader, statesperson, or other public figure who has achieved, through direct personal contacts across boundaries, widely-recognized advances toward President Eisenhower’s vision of peacePeace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and productivity through person-to-person international dialogue. Notable recipients include Presidents Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
and George H.W. Bush, United States Secretaries of State Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
, Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
and George Shultz, U.S. Treasury Secretary Douglas Dillon, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan
Alan Greenspan
Alan Greenspan is an American economist who served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. He currently works as a private advisor and provides consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates LLC...
, Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner and economist Dr. Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
, Professor Muhammad Yunus
Muhammad Yunus
Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist and founder of the Grameen Bank, an institution that provides microcredit to help its clients establish creditworthiness and financial self-sufficiency. In 2006 Yunus and Grameen received the Nobel Peace Prize...
, and founding Trustees Ambassadors Walter H. Annenberg and Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
Thomas John Watson, Jr. was an American businessman, political figure, and philanthropist. He was the 2nd president of IBM , the 11th national president of the Boy Scouts of America , and the 16th United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union...
The Eisenhower Medal is conferred annually at a private gala dinner with Trustees, sponsors, and Fellows.
Organization
The governing body of the organization is the Board of Trustees, a distinguished group of more than seventy senior international leaders in business and public affairs currently chaired by General Colin L. Powell, USA (ret.) Prior chairs include Dr. Henry Kissinger, President George H.W. Bush and President Gerald Ford. Eisenhower Fellowships is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA.- General Colin L. Powell, USA (ret.), Chairman
- James W. Hovey, Vice Chairman
- Christine Todd WhitmanChristine Todd WhitmanChristine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
, Executive Committee Chair - John WolfJohn WolfJohn S. Wolf served as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State from 1970-2004, including tours as Ambassador to Malaysia, Assistant Secretary for Nonproliferation, and Chief Monitor, The Middle East Roadmap for Peace...
, President - Dan Geisler, Vice President
External links
- Charity Navigator http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3658
- Eisenhower Fellowships Association of Sri Lanka http://ef-srilanka.org/index.html
- Irish Eisenhower Fellowships Network http://eisenhowerfellowshipsireland.com/
- Eisenhower Fellows Europe http://efeurope.wordpress.com/
- OMG Center for Collaborative Learning http://leadershiplearning.org/leadership-resources/resources-and-publications/eisenhower-fellowships-final-evaluation-report
- Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal http://www.philasocialinnovations.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=132&Itemid=63