Acclaimed Architect and Pritzker Prize Recipient Frank Gehry Honored with the Prestigious Scopus Award by American Friends

Acclaimed Architect and Pritzker Prize Recipient Frank Gehry Honored with the Prestigious Scopus Award by American Friends

LOS ANGELES, CA —Internationally acclaimed architect Frank Gehry was honored with the 2010 Scopus Award by the American Friends of The Hebrew University (AFHU) and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem at a gala dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Saturday, January 16.  The award was presented by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was introduced by 2006 Scopus Award Honoree Jamie McCourt.  The evening, emceed by actor and entertainer Michael Burstyn, was also highlighted by a keynote address by famed defense attorney and Professor Alan Dershowitz, and a performance by renowned jazz musician Herbie Hancock.  Hebrew University president Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson offered personal greetings, and AFHU President Martin E. Karlinsky participated in the award ceremony.  AFHU leaders and supporters were also in attendance.  View the photo gallery from the event

Co-chairs for the Gala Scopus Award dinner were Patricia L. Glaser and Sam Mudie, Mark Vidergauz and Richard S. Ziman, Western Region Chairman.  The Scopus Award is the highest honor conferred by the American Friends of the Hebrew University to individuals who demonstrate leadership and involvement with humanitarian causes throughout their careers.
 
“In conferring its highest honor on Frank Gehry, The American Friends pays tribute to his lifelong dedication to educational philanthropy, humanitarian pursuits, to his leadership in fostering life-saving medical research, and to his extraordinary professional career,” said Patricia L. Glaser, AFHU Western Region Vice Chairman.  “While the whole world marvels at the visual manifestations of his architectural brilliance, his work also demonstrates a concern for the people who will live, work and visit his spaces daily, and an understanding of the culture and history of each site.”

Past Scopus laureates include Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Zubin Mehta, Frank Sinatra, Billy Crystal, Elie Wiesel and many others.

Mr. Gehry, a Pritzker Prize-winning architect, has built a career that has spanned more than four decades and produced a diverse array of public and private buildings in America, Asia and Europe. 
 
About The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, located on three campuses in Jerusalem and a fourth in Rehovot, is one of the world’s leading academic and research institutions.  More than 22,000 students from over 50 countries choose Hebrew University for its seven academic Faculties in the Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences, Agriculture and Medicine, and to take advantage of  extensive opportunities to participate in groundbreaking scientific and technological research.   Faculty and alumni of The Hebrew University have won seven Nobel Prizes in the past seven years. In 2007, The Hebrew University’s Institute for Advanced Studies was accepted into a consortium of ten of the world's leading academic institutions.  The University has consistently been ranked among the top 100 academic and research institutions worldwide in independent surveys, including Newsweek magazine.  Forty percent of Israel’s civilian research emerges from Hebrew University, which is ranked 12th worldwide in biotechnology patent filings and commercial development by the Milken Institute of Los Angeles.
 
The American Friends of The Hebrew University
American Friends of The Hebrew University (AFHU) is a national, not-for-profit organization based in the United States, with regional offices and headquarters in New York.  AFHU, working in close partnership with The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, provides programs, events and conducts fund raising activities in support of The Hebrew University’s internationally recognized community of leading scholars and scientists, and the wellspring of Israel’s future leadership.   Forging a meaningful partnership between American Jewry and the people of Israel, AFHU helps to ensure the nation’s well being by nurturing Israel’s most important natural resource and its greatest asset: the intellectual strength of its people.