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Stephen J. Harmelin Recipient of 2006 HOBY Schweitzer Award

Stephen J. Harmelin is the first Philadelphia recipient of the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award joining recent honorees including former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Senator Hillary Clinton. In selecting Harmelin, the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership -- HOBY -- cited "[Harmelin's] long history of civic leadership and his undercover work with the FBI to recover an original Bill of Rights missing for over 138 years is an example of leadership that [HOBY] wants to hold up to young people across the nation. The award will be presented on Monday evening, January 30th at a dinner in New York City. Katie Couric, Anchor of NBC's Today program, will also receive a HOBY award as a role model in the media for young Americans.

The HOBY Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award is bestowed on individuals who, by example, serve as an inspiration to our nation's youth. Distinguished past recipients include: President and Mrs. George Bush; President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan; Vice President and Mrs. Al Gore; Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; Secretary of Sate and Mrs. Henry Kissinger; Raisa and Mikhail Gorbachev; Secretary of Sate Gen. Colin Powell; New York Governor George Pataki; Bob and Dolores Hope; Olympic President Juan Antonio Samarach; J. Williard Marriott; Ted Turner and Jimmy Stewart to name a but a few.

HOBY's mission is to provide lifelong leadership development opportunities that empower individuals to achieve their highest potential. Each year, over 8000 high schools select their "outstanding" tenth graders to attend one of HOBY's 70 leadership development seminars which are held every spring throughout the United States and a number of partnering countries. To date, HOBY has profoundly affected the lives of 345,000 tenth graders. Monies raised through the Albert Schweitzer Leadership Awards Dinner directly benefit HOBY's national and international programs.