New York, N.Y.—The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) will be honoring renowned lawyer Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau Family with its highest honor, the prestigious ANCA Freedom Award, at the 8th Annual ANCA Eastern Region Banquet on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park Hotel in New York City.
“We’re honored to present Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau Family the Freedom Award for their decades-long efforts to raise the public’s consciousness on the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Eastern Region Chairman Stephen Mesrobian. “Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Mr. Morgenthau and his extended family have continued to be the vigilant upstanders speaking truth to power about the Armenian Genocide and all forms of injustice.”
The ANCA-ER Freedom Award is presented to individuals who have made tremendous contributions toward recognition of the Genocide and who have pursued other issues of importance to the Armenian American community. Earlier recipients have included U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans, Pulitzer Prize winning author and current U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Samantha Power, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, the late U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, former U.S. Senator Robert Dole, former U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole, and Baroness Caroline Cox.
Robert Morgenthau was born in New York City in 1919, into a highly regarded political family. His grandfather, Henry Morgenthau, Sr. was the United States Ambassador serving in the Ottoman Empire during World War I and is regarded as the most prominent contemporary American Politician to speak against the Armenian Genocide. As the Armenian massacres continued unabated, Morgenthau and several other Americans decided to form a public fundraising committee that would assist the Armenians. The Committee on Armenian Atrocities (later renamed the Near East Relief), raised over $100 million in aid, which would equal to $1 billion today. Morgenthau’s father, Henry Morgenthau, Jr. served under Presidents Roosevelt and Truman as the Secretary of the Treasury.
A lawyer by training, Robert Morgenthau continued his family’s tradition of public service, serving as District Attorney of New York’s Manhattan Borough from 1975 to 2009, making him the second longest-serving district attorney in United States history.
After graduating from the New Lincoln School, Deerfield Academy, and Amherst College, he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving for four and a half years, during World War II. He attained the final rank of Lieutenant Commander and served as the executive officer of both the USS Lansdale and the USS Harry F. Bauer. He saw action in both the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters, mostly aboard destroyers. Morgenthau graduated from Yale Law School in 1948.
Banquet chair Stephen Mesrobian and committee members are working diligently to ensure the success of this annual fundraising event. “This is a fantastic event that truly showcases the activities and support throughout the Eastern Region. We are looking forward to a spectacular turnout to honor Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau Family for their many contributions to Armenian Americans and the general public,” said Mesrobian.
The banquet will begin with an elegant cocktail reception and silent auction at 4 p.m., followed by dinner and awards ceremony at 6 p.m. To purchase tickets or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit www.anca.org/erbanquet. For more information, please contact Armen Sahakyan at (917) 428-1918 or email erbanquet@anca.org.
The ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization that supports the Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region in outreach to Armenian American communities.
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