"Where there is no vision the people perish."
Leonore Annenberg to be Presented the 2006 Philadelphia Award
PHILADELPHIA—Philanthropist and dedicated civic leader Leonore Annenberg has been named winner of the 2006 Philadelphia Award. The prestigious Philadelphia Award, created by Edward W. Bok in 1921, will be presented to Mrs. Annenberg on June 18th at the Academy of Music.
"Leonore Annenberg has a passion for the City of Philadelphia and is an exemplary civic leader whose work and vision embody the spirit of The Philadelphia Award," said Dr. Happy Craven Fernandez, Chair of The Philadelphia Award Trustees and President of Moore College of Art & Design.
Leonore Annenberg, a committed philanthropist and champion of the arts, education, civic leadership and health care, is president and chairman of The Annenberg Foundation. During 2006, her leadership in many civic initiatives greatly enhanced the vitality of Philadelphia's rich cultural and educational assets. Mrs. Annenberg was instrumental in keeping Thomas Eakins' The Gross Clinic in Philadelphia, inspiring countless others to contribute to this successful and unprecedented effort. She was a lead supporter of the 150th year celebration of the Academy of Music and, at her invitation, Prince Charles visited Philadelphia and met with many people engaged in the civic life of the community. She has provided leadership grants to bring the renowned Barnes Foundation to The Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This year she has also invested substantially in the National Constitution Center's new education and outreach programs, the School District of Philadelphia's Teach for America initiative, and the University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing as well as an endowed Professorship of Democracy and Citizenship.
"I am honored to receive the distinguished Philadelphia Award. Civic opportunity and responsibility are the core of a successful democracy. It is a delight to see this great city flourish as a world-class center for the arts, education and medicine.
Mrs. Annenberg, a former Chief of Protocol for the United States, has been a quiet but steadfast supporter of many non-profit organizations and institutions in Philadelphia. She was a partner in many of the philanthropic and civic accomplishments of her late husband, the Hon. Walter H. Annenberg, and she also represented the nation when he served as Ambassador to the Court of St. James. She has continued to build on his philanthropic vision to promote the public good through communication, education, the arts, civic life and healthcare. Leonore Annenberg has given generously of her time, talent and resources, and her thoughtful and dedicated service on numerous boards will have a lasting impact on the communities and the fields to which she is devoted.
Governor Edward G. Rendell will give the keynote address at the awards ceremony on June 18th celebrating Mrs. Annenberg's civic and philanthropic leadership.
The Award is conferred by the Philadelphia Award Trustees each year:
upon the man or woman living in Philadelphia, its suburbs or vicinity, who during the preceding year shall have performed or brought to culmination an act or contributed a service calculated to advance the best and largest interest of the community of which Philadelphia is the center.
Edward W. Bok was a pioneer in the publishing business and perhaps best known as the editor of The Ladies Home Journal. Mr. Bok, author of The Americanization of Edward Bok, was a champion of social causes and a generous philanthropist. See www.philadelphiaaward.org