The New York Academy of Medicine: News & Publications: Over 400 Attend Academy's Tenth Annual Black-Tie Gala

Over 400 Attend Academy's Tenth Annual Black-Tie Gala

Nearly $750,000 raised to strengthen the Academy’s urban health initiatives

NEW YORK CITY, Jan. 29 – Over 400 people turned out last night for The New York Academy of Medicine’s Tenth Annual Gala, an elegant and warm black-tie affair at Cipriani 42nd Street that raised nearly $750,000 to strengthen the Academy’s urban health research, education and advocacy efforts.

Academy President Dr. Jeremiah A. Barondess welcoming guests to the 10th annual gala.

The Academy honored four visionary leaders for their contributions to public health: Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Joseph M. Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Medical Systems; David H. Koch, a philanthropist and Executive Vice President of Koch Industries; and, Architect Daniel Libeskind, whose visionary design has been instrumental in the rebuilding of lower Manhattan. “The four remarkable individuals we honor tonight epitomize leadership and ingenuity of the sort that has made our work possible,” Dr. Jack D. Barchas, Chairman of the Academy’s Board of Trustees, told enthusiastic supporters who were undaunted by a snowstorm that dumped 10 inches on the city and closed schools citywide.

“They exemplify in the breadth of their commitments, what we are all about,” added Academy President Dr. Jeremiah A. Barondess.

In accepting his award, Mr. Hogan demonstrated the impressive oratorical skills and vast medical knowledge that helped him to ascend from GE salesman to a divisional CEO within 15 years. Through his leadership of GE Medical Systems, a $10 billion global trailblazer in medical technology, Mr. Hogan has shaped critical advances in medical care. The number of people’s lives he has affected is “incalculable,” Dr. Barondess said.

Dr. Fauci, a Brooklyn native who had Dr. Barondess as a professor at Cornell University Medical College, expressed his delight at being honored by medical colleagues in “the greatest city in the world.” “It really is a thrill and an honor to be here with you this evening and share this recognition with my esteemed colleagues,” he said. As Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, much of Dr. Fauci’s time is spent in Washington, D.C., addressing health crises from a national and international perspective. It is a pleasure to be back “in the trenches” in his native city, he said. “This is where the action is, and this is where the nation looks to when they need leadership and creativity.”

Left to right: Jerry Della Femina, restauranteur and long-time advertising executive; Dr. Jeremiah A. Barondess, Academy President; his wife, Linda Hideman Barondess; veteran TV newscaster Judy Licht; and Tom Harrison of Diversified Agency Services, a division of Omnicom.

When introducing David H. Koch, Dr. Barondess told the crowd that Mr. Koch keeps a cast of the hand bones of the ape known as “Lucy” in his office. Lucy is nearly 3 million years old, and is the earliest known hominid (member of the human family) with knees that could lock, enabling her to stand up straight. “Her bones were discovered in Ethiopia by members of an expedition made possible by David Koch,” Dr. Barondess said, demonstrating Mr. Koch’s passion for supporting scientific discovery.

Mr. Koch acknowledged that he thought “Why me?” upon first learning of the Academy’s desire to honor him. But then Mr. Koch realized that his service on more than 10 boards— including those of Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University and Johns Hopkins University—had not gone unnoticed. Nor had his generous contributions to a wide variety of medical, academic and cultural initiatives. “When you spend this much time and this much money in one particular field, eventually someone notices,” Mr. Koch said, eliciting laughter.

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden (left) and Joseph M. Hogan, President and CEO of GE Medical Systems.

In his next life, Mr. Koch said, he would like to come back as a doctor or a chemical engineer. He has learned the value of good medicine during his personal battle against prostate cancer over the past 11 years, he said, and this has inspired him to fund research for a cure. “Frankly, this honor encourages me to continue contributing generously to this field,” said Mr. Koch, whose companies are involved in petroleum and chemicals, trading, ranching and investments.

The final honoree, Architect Daniel Libeskind, was honored following a sumptuous lamb dinner that he never had the chance to eat. Libeskind’s role as master planner of the former World Trade Center site has catapulted him into the New York limelight, and he had to leave the gala after the cocktail hour in order to dine with Gov. George Pataki at a restaurant several blocks away. Mr. Libeskind hustled back to the gala after that off-site meal to accepted an award from Dr. Barondess, who said, “We honor (Libeskind) tonight for the hope his vision is bringing to lower Manhattan and for the repair it will provide to the human heart.”

Mr. Libeskind told the audience that like medicine, architecture has the capacity to heal, and he hopes that his 1,776-foot-tall Freedom Tower building design for the World Trade Center site will do precisely that. “Most people think that architecture is mostly bricks and mortar,” said Mr. Libeskind. But in reality, an effective design is a spiritual presence, especially at a site so replete with emotional connections. “It has to be an eternal testament to the memories of the day . . . while moving ahead with optimism,” he said. Mr. Libeskind’s artistic vision and keen intellect will strongly influence New Yorkers’ physical and psychological health long into the future, Dr. Barondess said.

At the Academy's Gala, from left to right: Dr. Jack D. Barchas, Mr. Joseph M. Hogan, Dr. Jeremiah A. Barondess, Daniel Libeskind, David H. Koch and Dr. Anthony S. Fauci.

Each honoree was presented with an engraved crystal prism from Tiffany & Co. Dr. Barondess also expressed the Academy’s appreciation of the time given by the gala chairmen with a gift of a clock to John D. Wren, President and Chief Executive Officer of Omnicom Group, and Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg LP. Tom Harrison accepted the gift for Mr. Wren, who was one of the few casualties of the storm and was stranded in Boston. The New York Academy of Medicine is a non-profit institution founded in 1847 that is dedicated to enhancing the health of the public through research education and advocacy with a particular focus on urban populations, especially the disadvantaged.

Posted on 01/29/2004

Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
www.nyam.org

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