The Institute of International Education (IIE) presented New York business leader and philanthropist Thomas S. Johnson with the Stephen P. Duggan Award For Mutual Understanding in recognition of Mr. Johnson’s dedication to fostering understanding among people of different cultures, which he considers a central priority in his life. Mr. Johnson is the Chairman of IIE’s Board of Trustees, and the former chairman of the Board of Trustees at Trinity (’62, Hon. ’05, P ’97).  Pictured above are Mark A. Angelson, Deputy Mayor of the City of Chicago and Treasurer for the IIE Board of Trustees, and Johnson, with the award.

Trinity’s rescue scholar program is a one-year fellowship supported by the IIE and the Scott Michael Johnson ’97 Memorial Fund, which was established by Johnson and his wife, Ann. They initiated the fund in honor of their son Scott, a member of the Trinity College Class of 1997, who lost his life in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The Johnson Fund supports rescue scholars while they are in residence at Trinity.  The fund has enabled Trinity to provide an academic safe haven for three scholars to date, from Zimbabwe, Iran, and Uzbekistan, and has set a very powerful and promising example to other host universities.  For more on the Rescue Scholar program at Trinity, visit: http://bit.ly/pRaIPV.

(Photo courtesy Lyn Hughes for the Institute of International Education)