Contact: Carrie Blewitt
Qorvis Communications
(202) 683-3216
cblewitt@qorvis.com

The Horatio Alger Association Announces Award Recipients for 2010
Norman Vincent Peale Award Recipient is Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nov. 23, 2009 – The board of directors of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is pleased to announce the Horatio Alger Award Recipients for 2010. The 11 outstanding individuals who have accomplished remarkable achievements through hard work, self-reliance and perseverance are:

Albert T. Annexstad, Chairman, Federated Insurance Companies
William Alfred Cook, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Cook Group Incorporated
Tommy Ray Franks, Former Commander-in-Chief, US Central Command, and Chairman,
Franks & Associates
Joseph M. “Jody” Grant, Partner and Senior Advisor, BankCap Partners, and Chairman Emeritus, Texas Capital Bank
Jenard M. Gross, President, Gross Investments
Lawrence Mead Higby, CEO (Retired), Vice Chairman and Advisor, Apria Healthcare Group Inc.
Richard D. Holland, Philanthropist and Chairman (Retired), Rollheiser Holland Kahler Advertising
Alan B. Miller, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Universal Health Services, Inc.
Condoleezza Rice, Former Secretary of State, US Department of State, and Professor, Stanford University
James M. Seneff Jr., Founder and CEO, CNL Financial Group, Inc.
Earl W. Stafford Sr., Chief Executive Officer, The Wentworth Group LLC, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Stafford Foundation, Inc.

“We are proud to announce the Horatio Alger Class of 2010. These individuals are helping to sustain the future of our organization and the vitality of our scholarship program as we look ahead to a new and exciting year,” said David L. Sokol, president and CEO of the Horatio Alger Association.

Members of the association are those who have been honored with the Horatio Alger Award. Recipients are dedicated community leaders who demonstrate initiative and commitment to excellence – illustrated by extraordinary achievements accomplished through honesty, hard work, self-reliance and perseverance over adversity. Potential members must have a strong commitment to assisting those less fortunate and be willing to contribute to the mission of providing scholarships for younger generations.

During the awards ceremony in April 2010, the 2010 Norman Vincent Peale Award will be presented to Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. The Norman Vincent Peale Award is annually conferred on an association member who has made exceptional humanitarian contributions to society, who has been an active participant in the association, and who continues to exhibit courage, tenacity and integrity in the face of great challenges. The award is named in honor of Dr. Peale, who was an outstanding leader of the association for more than 40 years. 

Thomas was born and raised in Georgia. He learned his strong work ethic from his mother who raised him and his grandfather who mentored him. Thomas attended segregated public and parochial schools during his early childhood. He spent four years studying for the priesthood before changing his mind and enrolling at Holy Cross College. He graduated in the top 7 percent of his class and went on to receive a juris doctorate degree from Yale Law School in 1974. He worked for John Danforth as an attorney general, and became Danforth's legislative assistant when he was elected senator from Missouri. Less than two years later, Thomas served as assistant secretary for civil rights with the U.S. Department of Education. That job led to his appointment as chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1991, after less than two years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Thomas was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thomas is committed to guiding and teaching others. He addresses youth groups and often meets with school children who are visiting the Supreme Court.

Thomas has hosted the Inaugural Ceremony to honor new members during the annual Horatio Alger Awards at the U.S. Supreme Court since 1992 and has served on the board of directors since 2000. "The Horatio Alger Association is committed to giving at-risk students a college education, the first step toward a bright future," he says. "I am proud and honored to be a part of that."

The new members will be inducted next spring in Washington, D.C. at the Horatio Alger Awards Induction Ceremonies. Festivities will take place April 8-10, 2010, and will include three days of meetings and celebrations in some of the nation’s most historic buildings. The Horatio Alger National Scholars, remarkable high school seniors, are also formally honored during the three-day gathering. Members of the press who have questions may contact Carrie Blewitt with Qorvis at (202) 683-3216.

About The Horatio Alger Association

Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans continues to fulfill its mission of honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals in our society who have succeeded in spite of adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through higher education. The Horatio Alger Association offers three annual scholarship programs: the National Scholarship Program, State Scholarship Programs, and Graduate Grants. The association awards nearly $7 million annually in college scholarships and has given more than $70 million to deserving students since 1984. The association is a 2009 Combined Federal Campaign participant, ID# 77062. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

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