Maurice Tempelsman Receives Leadership Award from Harvard School of Public Health AIDS Initiative

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The Harvard School of Public Health AIDS Initiative (HAI) honored Maurice Tempelsman with its Leadership Award at a dinner on January 15th. The HAI Leadership Award is presented to individuals who have displayed outstanding vision, leadership, and courage in the worldwide struggle against AIDS.

Maurice Tempelsman is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lazare Kaplan International Inc. He served as the Chairman of the Corporate Council on Africa from 1992-2002 and continues as Chairman Emeritus. He is past Chairman of the Africa-America Institute. He has served on several Presidential Commissions, including the President’s Commission for the Observance of Human Rights.

Mr. Tempelsman serves as Chairman of HAI’s International Advisory Council. He has been instrumental in helping HAI establish research collaborations in Africa. Such programs train students and researchers and help build capacity in developing countries.

In presenting Mr. Tempelsman with the award, Dr. Max Essex, Chair of the Harvard AIDS Initiative, said “He is more than a Renaissance man. When it comes to AIDS in Africa, he is also an action figure. Others not only listen to his advice, they follow it. For numerous people in Africa and around the world, this has resulted in the saving of many lives and the prevention of much suffering and anguish. For this we are deeply grateful.”

The award was presented at a dinner honoring Mr. Tempelsman held at the Knickerbocker Club in New York City. Previous recipients of HAI’s Leadership Award include Arthur Ashe, Bill Blass, President Festus Mogae of Botswana, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, Diana, Princess of Wales, Richard Gere, Elizabeth Glaser and Deeda Blair.

The Harvard AIDS Initiative is dedicated to research and education to end the AIDS epidemic in Africa and developing countries. For two decades, HAI has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS laboratory research, clinical trials, AIDS education and leadership.

 

A complete list of past recipients of the HAI Leadership Award can be found here.

For more information, please contact Martha Henry at 617-432-6106 or at mshenry@hsph.harvard.edu.