THE
Golden Bear and financial innovator Stephen Schwarzman receive the 2008 awards for service in public
and private sectors
With
its Woodrow Wilson Awards, the
The
Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship is given to executives who
exemplify a commitment to the common good—beyond the bottom line. They are the
people who demonstrate that private firms should be stellar citizens in their
own neighborhoods, as well as in the world. Nicklaus
has been involved in the design of 262 courses through his business, Nicklaus Design. Nicklaus Design
courses are represented in 32 countries, 38 states, and at least 84 have hosted
a combined total of close to 600 professional tournaments or significant
national amateur championships. At least 60 Nicklaus
Design courses have appeared in various national and international Top-100 lists.
The firm also has projects under development in 45 different countries,
including 28 in which Nicklaus Design has never been
involved, including Croatia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Nicaragua, Panama, Vietnam
and Cambodia.
“You
“In
many ways, I am finding even more personal satisfaction in this second career,
because I am able to give back to the game that has been so good to me; I am
able to impact the growth of the game worldwide, and, as we would all like to
do, touch lives along the way. Tonight, I thank you for, in some small way, recognizing
me as much for what I am doing today, as what I did yesterday.”
Nicklaus, who has been recognized by one publication as
the Most Powerful Person in Golf for four straight years, has used his iconic
status to introduce and grow the game of golf in emerging markets worldwide. At
the same time, he has proven that golf can not
“It
has been said that too often in business or life we over-exaggerate yesterday,
we overestimate tomorrow, and we underestimate today,” Nicklaus
said. “We dwell too much on the good or bad that happened yesterday, and bank
too much on what might happen tomorrow. Today matters. And I like to think that
throughout my career and life I have tried to make the most of today.”
Nicklaus closed his speech by acknowledging Barbara, his
wife of 47 years, and his five children, most of whom attended the event. He
credited Barbara for being the guiding light for the family’s influence on
lives at the local level through her myriad charitable efforts, the most
notable being the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care
Foundation, which supports numerous pediatric health-care services in a
five-county area, including Palm Beach.
“We
talked earlier about making a difference, and the importance of making a difference
for others with others,” Nicklaus said.
“That’s why we hope we have touched the lives of our own children and instilled
in them the values and the motivation to carry on what Barbara and I have tried
to start.
“I
have always said that no matter what I did in my tournament career, golf course
design will be my lasting legacy.” Nicklaus then
looked at the table where his children were seated, and added, “But if I could
re-write that tonight, I would say that if Barbara and I did our jobs right,
our legacy is sitting right there.”
Past
recipients of the Woodrow Wilson Awards for Corporate Citizenship include
Alexander Dreyfoos of the Dreyfoos
Company, Sherry Lansing of Paramount Pictures, Ross Perot, Jr. and Ted Turner.
Schwarzman, co-founder, chairman and CEO of the Blackstone
Group, is receiving the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, which is given
to individuals who have served with distinction in public life and have shown a
commitment to seeking informed opinions and thoughtful views. In addition to
overseeing one of the most successful investment and advisory firms in the
world, Schwarzman recently accepted chairmanship of
the
Past
recipients of the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service include Vice
President Richard Cheney and The Honorable Lynne Cheney, Senator John H. Glenn,
Senator Bob Graham, Dr. Henry A. Kissinger and Former First Lady Betty Ford.
For more information
about the Woodrow Wilson Awards, visit www.wilsoncenter.org.
Contacts: Nicklaus Companies,Scott Tolley, Director
of Communications, 11780 U.S. Highway #1, Suite 500, North Palm Beach, FL.
33408, Tel: 561-227-0300, Fax: 561-227-0351 scott.tolley@nicklaus.com