FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       

CONTACT:    Jane L. Anderson

                                                                                    Fulbright Association

                                                                                    (202) 347-5543

                                                                                    Racquel White

                                                                                    The Coca-Cola Foundation

                                                                                    (404) 676-2683

COLIN POWELL TO RECEIVE 2004 J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHT PRIZE FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING

Secretary Powell Recognized for Commitments to International Exchange, Development of Youth

            WASHINGTON, D.C.  (Dec. 13, 2004) – The Fulbright Association announced today that the 2004 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding will be awarded to Colin L. Powell whose tenure as Secretary of State has included a strong, consistent focus on international education and exchange as an important means of developing constructive relationships among nations. The Fulbright Prize recognizes Secretary Powell’s distinguished public service throughout his military, civilian, and voluntary-sector career.  He will be honored at a ceremony on December 15 at the U.S. Department of State.

            “Colin Powell is one of our nation’s most distinguished public servants, and all Americans owe him a debt of gratitude for promoting international understanding around the world,” said Brown University President Ruth J. Simmons, chairwoman of the international selection committee for the 2004 J. William Fulbright Prize.  “We are especially grateful to Secretary Powell for recognizing the intrinsic value of international education and exchange programs and for the strong support and leadership that he has brought to these important programs.”

            Dr. R. Fenton-May, president of the Fulbright Association, said that the Fulbright Association’s Georgia Chapter recently welcomed one of the new Iraqi Fulbright scholars and the first Fulbright scholar from Brunei, both of whom are studying at Emory University in Atlanta.  Dr. Fenton-May also noted that in 1997 Secretary Powell founded America’s Promise to help children.

            “In both his civilian and military careers, Secretary Powell has supported the mentoring of younger people and instilling good life habits and goal-oriented development,” Dr. Fenton-May said.

            Serving on the international committee convened by the Fulbright Association to select the 2004 Fulbright Prize laureate were Dr. R. Fenton-May, president of the Fulbright Association and retired director of operations development, The Coca-Cola Company; Professor Francis Balle, University Panthéon-Assas Paris II; His Excellency Raul Gangotena, Ambassador of Ecuador to the United States of America; and His Excellency Han Sung-Joo Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States of America.  Dr Simmons, selection committee chairwoman, and selection committee members are all Fulbright alumni.

            The J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding carries a $50,000 award provided by The Coca-Cola Foundation.  The Fulbright Association created the Fulbright Prize in 1993 with a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions toward bringing peoples, cultures, or nations to greater understanding of others.  Previous recipients of the award are former South African President Nelson Mandela, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former Austrian Federal Chancellor Franz Vranitzky, former Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino, former Czech Republic President Václav Havel, former Chilean President Patricio Aylwin Azócar, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata, and former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

            The Fulbright Association is a private, non-profit organization that supports and promotes the Fulbright Program, an international educational and cultural exchange initiative created in 1946 by legislation sponsored by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas.  There are Fulbright exchanges between the United States and more than 140 other countries.  There are more than 200,000 Fulbright alumni throughout the world.

# # #

Please click here for a PDF version of this press release.

Please click here for more information on the Fulbright Prize.