Harvard University Club of Houston Hosts Harvard's 375th Anniversary Fete on May 11

The Harvard University Club of Houston to host Harvard's 375th Anniversary Fete on May 11 as part of year-long, worldwide celebration of the school's founding. Notable alumni Judy Ley Allen, Harris "Shrub" Kempner, Jr. and Robert T. Sakowitz will be honored during event. End Quote

Houston, TX (1888PressRelease) May 04, 2012 - The Harvard University Club of Houston will be joining in a year-long, worldwide celebration of the school's 375th Anniversary by throwing a birthday party on May 11 at the Junior League of Houston. The black-tie event, Harvard's 375th Anniversary Fête, is open to the public as well as more than 2,500 alumni in the Houston-Galveston area. It will benefit a number of educational causes while honoring three notable Harvard alumni from the Houston-Galveston area.

The Fête will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner (featuring a replica of the Harvard birthday cake from the 375th Anniversary celebration in Cambridge, Mass.), awards ceremony, live auction, and dancing. Special guests include Harvard Alumni Association President Ellen Gordon Reeves (AB 1983) and Harvard Alumni Association Deputy Executive Director Philip Lovejoy. Special entertainment for the evening will include a performance by renowned pianist Evelyn Chen (AB 1990), after-party jazz music by the Gary-Michael Dahl Band, and pre-dinner music by cellist Lachezar Kostov. Dr. Mark Adickes (HMS 2000), Super Bowl champion with the Washington Redskins, will be the auctioneer at the live auction. Fête Co-Chairs are Hoang Quan Vu and Julia Bailey, with John and Tracy Dennis and Stephen and Kaye Horn serving as Honorary Co-Chairs of the Fête. Underwriting Co-Chairs are William Altman and Scott Johnson, and Silent Auction Co-Chairs are Beth Nock and Laura Davis.

During the Fête, the Harvard University Club of Houston's Crimson Award for Leadership and Community Service will be presented to: Judy Ley Allen (MBA 1963), head of Allen Investments and one of the first women to graduate from Harvard Business School; Harris "Shrub" Kempner, Jr. (AB 1961), president of Kempner Capital Management and a fearless Galveston community leader, and Robert T. Sakowitz (AB 1960), president of Hazak Corporation and a well-known Houston civic leader. Past Crimson Award recipients include Dr. John Mendelsohn, President of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Gordon Bethune, former Chairman of Continental Airlines Inc.; and Dr. Nancy Chang, former President and CEO of Tanox Inc.

"We are delighted to be presenting the Crimson Awards to these three individuals," says Hoang Quan Vu, a Corporate/Finance Partner at the law firm of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP and President of the Harvard University Club of Houston. "Although we have many terrific alumni who have made significant contributions to our communities, we wanted to recognize the impact made by these three individuals in particular. They are admirable business and civic leaders who have really helped make Harvard proud."

Proceeds from the Fête will benefit various educational causes. "Although the Fête is about celebrating all things Harvard, one critical aspect is helping the community," says Julia Bailey. In particular, the Harvard University Club of Houston will work with the Houston Independent School District to help some of its most promising teachers and principals participate in the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero which focuses on teaching best classroom practices. Scholarships will also be made available to the Social Enterprise Initiative of Harvard Business School in order to provide management training at the Harvard Business School for Houston non-profit leaders. In addition, event proceeds will assist the Summer Community Fellowship Program that supports Harvard undergraduates working in Houston-based non-profit organizations. Proceeds also will be dedicated to the Club's Schools and Scholarships Programs, which make sure that more than 600 yearly applicants are properly identified, interviewed, and encouraged to attend Harvard each year.

Harvard's 375th Anniversary Fête will begin at 6 p.m. at the Junior League of Houston with a cocktail reception and silent auction. The dinner, awards presentation, birthday celebration, and live auction will start at 7:30 p.m. Dancing will follow the dinner program. For ticket, sponsorship, or other information, visit http://www.hclubhouston.com/ or call Club Administrator Maureen Garnett at (713) 660-9137.

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