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Woodrow Wilson Center to Honor Kathryn W. Davis and family and John H. Tyson for Contributions to U.S.-Russian Relations

Davis and family will receive the Wilson Center's Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, and Tyson will receive the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship at the Kennan Institute's annual dinner on September 19, 2006.

Image removed.On Tuesday, September 19, 2006, philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis and family, and John H. Tyson, Chairman of the Board of Tyson Foods, Inc., will be honored by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution. Mrs. Davis and family will receive the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, and Mr. Tyson will receive the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship at a dinner to benefit the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute.

The two honorees are outstanding leaders in the worlds of business and philanthropy, and their contributions demonstrate the importance of strong relations between the United States and the Russian Federation.

For over 40 years, Kathryn Davis and the Davis family have held the conviction that meaningful research and dialogue are the lifeblood of good policy, and have helped make that conviction a reality through tireless service and philanthropy, especially in the field of Russian studies. They have had a dramatic impact on higher education and public policy, helping foster greater understanding of international affairs through institutions that proudly bear the Davis name, including the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies of the Heritage Foundation, and the Davis Center for Historical Studies at Princeton University. The Davis family has also committed more than $75 million to the United World College and related programs, representing the largest contribution ever made by a single donor to international education in the United States.

John Tyson is an expert business manager, having turned Tyson Foods from a highly successful poultry company into the world's largest processor and marketer of beef, chicken, and pork. As an influential leader of the food industry, John Tyson led his company to become one of the largest single U.S. exporters to Russia. His steadfast commitment to U.S.-Russian economic and commercial ties has been a model for other U.S. business leaders at a time when promoting that relationship is more important than ever. Just as fundamentally important as his business expertise, however, is his unwavering commitment to the welfare of his community, especially in the area of education. Most notable among those efforts is his ardent and generous support of the University of Arkansas. As vice chairman of its Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Steering Committee, he helped secure contributions and funding to further improve the school's standing as a top institution of higher learning.

When: Tuesday, September 19, 2006; 6:30 p.m.

Where: The Ritz-Carlton; 22nd at M St., NW; Washington, D.C.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is the living, national memorial to President Wilson established by Congress in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is a nonpartisan institution, supported by public and private funds, engaged in the study of national and world affairs. The Center establishes and maintains a neutral forum for free, open, and informed dialogue. The President and Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center is Lee H. Hamilton, who served as a member of Congress for 34 years and most recently served as vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission.

The Kennan Institute bridges the divide between the world of ideas and the world of public affairs by bringing scholars and governmental specialists together to discuss political, social, and economic issues affecting Russia and other successor states to the Soviet Union, seeking always to place these issues within their historical context.

Seats are $500 per person ($250 government/nonprofit). Dress is business attire. To register, or for information on sponsoring a table at the dinner, please contact Joseph Dresen or call (202) 691-4245.

Related Program

Kennan Institute

The Kennan Institute is the premier U.S. center for advanced research on Russia and Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American understanding of Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the surrounding region though research and exchange.  Read more