|
Carnegie
Medals of Philanthropy
The
Andrew Carnegie Medals of
Philanthropy were inaugurated on December 10, 2001 by more than
20 of the Carnegie institutions that he established during his lifetime
all over the world.
This
award, created at the centennial observance of Andrew Carnegie’s
official career as a philanthropist, will be given every two years
to one or more individuals who, like Andrew Carnegie have dedicated
their private wealth to public good and who have a sustained an
impressive career as a philanthropist.
The
Criteria:
-
A vision of philanthropy that reflects the ideals and breadth
of Andrew Carnegie, the man it celebrates
-
The work of the philanthropist has a sustainable track record
-
The impact his or her philanthropy has had on a field, the nation
or internationally
The
Award Process:
Twenty-two institutions begun by Andrew Carnegie during his lifetime
and which continue with the work he had the vision to endow have
the responsibility for judging awardees and honoring those chosen
for the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. Nominations are made by
the Carnegie family of institutions. The three members of the steering
committee who organized the Centennial celebration and who launched
the medal are permanent members of the selection committee—Carnegie
Corporation of New York, Carnegie Institute of Washington and the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Two of the other 22
institutions will rotate each year.
Carnegie
Corporation of New York took the lead in organizing the 2001 awards
ceremony and the Carnegie Institution of Washington coordinated
the 2003 awards ceremony.
The
Award:
Each
recipient receives a bust of Andrew Carnegie—an original work
of art cast in bronze and created specially for the award—and
a bronze medal.
The
2001 awards ceremony celebrated one of the most important financial
transactions of the 20th century, when J.P. Morgan purchased U.S.
Steel for $480 million (the equivalent of $10.6 billion today) from
Andrew Carnegie, who then devoted the rest of his life to philanthropy
on a level not then seen in America or anywhere else. By his death,
Mr. Carnegie had given away 90 percent of his fortune.
|