Harris Wofford Recipient of John W. Gardner Award for Public Service

Posted by on August 9, 2002

[Philanthropy News Digest]

Independent Sector Names Harris Wofford Recipient of John W. Gardner Award for Public Service

Independent Sector ( http://www.independentsector.org/ ), a coalition of national nonprofit organizations, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, has awarded its 2002 John W. Gardner Leadership Award to former U.S. senator Harris Wofford in recognition of his exemplary commitment to public service.

The Gardner award honors individuals whose work helps make citizen service a common expectation and experience for all Americans. Wofford’s ccomplishments stretch back to the Eisenhower administration, in which he served as counsel on the first U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Wofford also helped launch the Peace Corps ( http://www.peacecorps.gov/ ) in 1961, later becoming its associate director; served in the U.S. Senate from 1991 to 1994, where he helped write and pass legislation that created AmeriCorps ( http://www.americorps.org/ ), the Learn and Serve America program ( http://www.learnandserve.org/ ), and the Corporation for National and Community Service ( http://www.nationalservice.org/ ); served as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service from 1995 to 2001; and this year was named chairman of America’s Promise ( http://www.americaspromise.org/ ), a national program to help disadvantaged youth. In addition, Wofford has held leadership positions in academia at the State University of New York at Old Westbury ( http://www.oldwestbury.edu/ ) and Bryn Mawr College ( http://www.brynmawr.edu/ ) in Pennsylvania.

The award was created in 1985 to recognize an American working in or with the voluntary sector whose work has national or international impact in his or her field and contributes to the common good and was named in honor of John W. Gardner, the founding chairperson of Independent Sector, who died earlier this year.

"Harris Wofford leads the kind of life that committed individuals aspire to achieve," said Sara E. Mel?ndez, president and CEO of Independent Sector. "His distinguished career in education, law, politics, and public service places him directly in the John Gardner tradition. It is only fitting that Mr. Wofford be the first recipient of the award since John Gardner’s death."

"Harris Wofford, Citizen Service Pioneer, to Receive the 2002 John W. Gardner." Independent Sector Press Release 07/30/02.

http://www.independentsector.org/media/Gardner02PR.html
http://fdncenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=10300125