Events: Annual Gala and Stated Meeting
Annual Gala
Each year, distinguished leaders in the health, corporate and philanthropic communities gather for the Academy Gala to celebrate their contributions to improving the health of the public.
The Gala is the Academy's major annual fundraising event, providing critical support for the Academy programs in research, education, and advocacy for urban populations.
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| James W. Fordyce, Joseph M. Feczko, MD, Jo Ivey Boufford, MD, Bob Wright, and Thomas Q. Morris, MD. |
The New York Academy of Medicine raised more than $750,000 at its 2007 Award Gala, a warm and festive black-tie affair at the Pierre Hotel on Fifth Avenue attended by 350 leaders in health, policy, business, and media. The crowd of enthusiastic supporters joined the Academy in celebrating honorees who are addressing great challenges to health, and generously contributed funds to support the Academy’s commitment to improving the health of people living in cities across the nation and around the world.
The Academy honored Joseph M. Feczko, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Pfizer Inc and an Academy Trustee, James W. Fordyce, Chairman of The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, and Bob Wright, Vice Chairman and Executive Officer of GE, Chairman of NBC Universal, and founder of the Autism Speaks organization. Each honoree was presented with an inscribed Tiffany crystal prism and lauded for working to better the health of the disadvantaged, in step with the Academy’s mission.
The fundraising dinner was a tremendous success in part because of the hard work of the six Gala Chairmen. They are Edward J. Ludwig, Chairman, President, and CEO of the medical technology company BD, and a Gala honoree in 2006; Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal; John K. Castle, Chairman of the Castle Harlan private equity investment firm and of Castle, Connolly Medical, a healthcare research and information company; and three very special Academy Trustees. Those Trustees are Thomas L. Harrison, Chairman and CEO of Diversified Agency Services, a group of marketing services companies and a division of the Omnicom Group; Joseph M. Hogan, President and CEO of GE Healthcare; and Morris W. Offit, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of Offit Hall Capital Management, an investment advisory firm. Each of the chairmen was thanked with a gift of a unique framed print from among the special treasures of the Academy’s Historical Collections.
*View stories and photos from previous Galas: 2006 2005 | 2004 | 2003
2007 Awards Discourse
The annual awards discourse of the Fellows is an Academy tradition started in 1847 to mark the anniversary of the founding of the Academy that year. It includes an Anniversary Discourse, which is a major address on an important subject related to health and has been a tradition since 1847, as well as the presentation of Academy Awards for distinguished accomplishments in medicine, scientific research and service to the Academy.
Carol Bellamy, President and CEO of World Learning, gave the 160th Anniversary Discourse speech at The New York Academy of Medicine’s Awards Dinner on Wednesday, May 23 in the Academy Library. Awards for distinguished accomplishments in biomedical science, medicine, public health, and service to the Academy was presented to four outstanding leaders.
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| Academy Board Chairman Thomas Q. Morris, MD, Academy President Jo Ivey Boufford, MD, honoree Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCH, President Emritus Jeramiah Barondess, MD, honoree William H. Foege, MD, MPH, and the Anniversary Discourse Speaker Carol Bellamy. |
Ms. Bellamy spoke on “Women and Children: Global Health’s Challenge.” She assumed the leadership of World Learning in May 2005 after ten years as executive director of UNICEF. Prior to that, Ms. Bellamy was the Director of the United States Peace Corps, the first ex-volunteer to hold that distinction. She served for thirteen years as an elected public official, including five years in the New York State Senate and seven years as the first female President of the New York City Council.
The Academy Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Biomedical Science was presented to Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh, Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System, and Dean, School of Medicine. Dr. Rubenstein is an accomplished physician, groundbreaking diabetes researcher and gifted academic leader. He worked with Dr. Donald Steiner to develop the first accurate method of measuring insulin secretion in diabetics using animal insulin, which paved the way for commercial production of human insulin.
The John Stearns Award for Lifetime Achievement in Medicine was presented to Stanley N. Cohen, MD, Professor of Genetics and of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, the co-inventor of genetic engineering, which provided a cornerstone for virtually all of modern biological and medical research and the scientific foundation for the current revolution in the diagnosis and treatment of human disease.
The Stephen Smith Award for Lifetime Achievement in Public Health was awarded to William Foege, MD, MPH, Presidential Distinguished Professor of International Health at the Rollins School of Public Health and Gates Fellow, who as an epidemiologist worked on the successful campaign to eradicate smallpox and has championed many health issues in the developing world. Dr. Foege is the former Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jeremiah A. Barondess, MD, President Emeritus of The New York Academy of Medicine received the Academy Award for Exceptional Service. Dr. Barondess served as President from 1990 to 2006 and transformed the institution into a national force in urban health research.
*View stories and photos from previous Stated Meeting events: 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
For more information on the annual Academy Gala and Stated Meeting, please contact Lorraine A. LaHuta, Director of Development, at 212-822-7244, or by e-mail at llahuta@nyam.org.
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