The Ellis Island Honors Society ( EIHS ) is a United States 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to honor and preserve cultural diversity and to foster tolerance, respect and understanding among ethnic groups. The EIHS was founded in 1984 as the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations ( NECO ) and adopted its current name in 2017. The EIHS awards the " Ellis Island Medal of Honor " to naturalized or native-born American citizens "who preserve and celebrate the history, traditions and values of their [ethnic heritage] while exemplifying the values of the American way of life ".
15-571: NECO was founded by William Denis Fugazy Sr in June 1984 in response to discontent with the choice of 12 recipients of the " Medal of Liberty " awarded as part of ABC 's Liberty Weekend celebration of the Statue of Liberty 's pre-centennial renovation. A committee appointed by ABC producer David L. Wolper was tasked with selecting eminent living immigrants, and Fugazy was among those who felt many prominent immigrant communities were unrepresented. Fugazy,
30-455: A decoration or an insignia suitable for wearing, such as a medal , badge , award pin or rosette . It can also be a token object such as a certificate , diploma , championship belt , trophy or plaque . The award may also be accompanied by a title of honor , and an object of direct cash value, such as prize money or a scholarship . Furthermore, an honorable mention is an award given, typically in education , that does not confer
45-485: A friend of Fugazy Sr and Kazeminy, was co-chairman until 2012. In 2016, Ellis Island Honors Society awarded Wendy Diamond the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of her humanitarian efforts. Medal of Liberty The Medal of Liberty was awarded in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan as part of the festivities commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty ( Liberty Enlightening
60-544: A picture of Pope John Paul II on the late-night show Saturday Night Live to protest the Catholic church's involvement in child abuse . In 2018, Ellis Island Honors Society communications director confirmed that Donald Trump was a 1986 recipient of the Ellis Island Medals of Honor and that a photo of the event with Trump alongside Muhammad Ali and Rosa Parks was authentic. Trump was honored for his work as
75-565: A real-estate agent and founder in 1984 of the Coalition of Italo-American Associations, mentioned in particular Italian Americans , Irish Americans , and Polish Americans . Committee member Arthur Schlesinger Jr pointed out that most Irish and Italian Americans were not first-generation and therefore ineligible. The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation , which had cooperated with the Medal of Liberty award, agreed to co-operate with NECO on
90-474: A successful developer in New York City and his German heritage, not for helping inner city youth. Seven U.S. presidents are among those who have been nominated, along with both celebrities and ordinary people. From 1987 to 1990, NECO gave booby prizes called "Golden Pit Awards" to television shows and motion pictures which exploited ethnic stereotypes . In 2004, Charles Rangel paid tribute to NECO in
105-724: Is a circular, bronze medallion , seven inches in diameter, hand finished and patinated by Alex Shagin . On the obverse of the medal is the bust of Frédéric Bartholdi , facing slightly to the right and holding in his right hand his small bronze sculpture of Liberty Enlightening the World , his template for the construction of the Statue of Liberty National Monument at the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor. Bartholdi's name appears vertically, his middle name, Auguste, to
120-468: The Pulitzer Prize honors literary achievements. An award may be a public acknowledgment of excellence without any tangible token or prize. Awards for sports tournaments often take the form of cups , following a tradition harking back to the ancient Greek tripod given to winners in athletic contests. The Stanley Cup is a modern example. In contrast, awards for employee recognition often take
135-518: The U.S. House of Representatives , stating NECO was a coalition of 143 ethnic interest groups . Fugazy was succeeded as head of NECO by Nasser J. Kazeminy. In 2011, a disgruntled former Board member erroneously alleged that NECO was mis-allocating funds and exchanging subsidies with member organizations. The allegation was acknowledged and never followed up by the NY Attorney General office. It ultimately proved baseless. Lee Iacocca ,
150-430: The Ellis Island Medals of Honor. A Congressional resolution of October 10, 1986, endorsed the awards. Fugazy awarded the first 80 Ellis Island Medals of Honor on October 27, 1986; recipients present included Joe DiMaggio , Victor Borge , Anita Bryant , Muhammad Ali , Rosa Parks , and Donald Trump (a business associate of Fugazy). In 1992, they hired a steamroller to crush Sinéad O'Connor 's records after she tore up
165-588: The United States of America. David L. Wolper , producer of ABC's television's 1986 Independence Day Weekend media event , came up with the idea to have the President present awards to a select group of naturalized citizens as an essential part of the ceremonial festivities commemorating the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor . The Medal of Liberty
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#1732780803902180-400: The World ). The awarding of this medal took place only once, as it was linked to a specific event. No other Medals of Liberty have been awarded since Liberty Weekend 1986 , although it is possible more may be awarded on future occasions. The medal was awarded in 1986 by President Reagan to twelve outstanding individuals chosen as representative of the most distinguished naturalized citizens of
195-469: The left of his bust and his surname to the right. Medal recipients were announced by Ted Koppel of ABC News . As of November 2023, Franklin Chang Díaz, Hanna Holborn Gray, and Itzhak Perlman are the only living members of the Medal of Liberty. Award An award , sometimes called a distinction , is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When
210-512: The recipient(s) a higher standing but is considered worth mentioning in an honourable way. An award may be conferred as a state decoration by a sovereign state , dynasty or other public authority (see fount of honour ), or a private organisation or individual. The latter may also include ecclesiastical authorities, such as in the case of ecclesiastical awards . For example, the Nobel Prize recognizes contributions to society, while
225-416: The token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration . An award may be described by three aspects: 1) to whom it is given to 2) what 3) by whom, all varying according to purpose. The recipient is often awarded to an individual, a student, athlete or representative of a group of people, be it an organisation , a sports team or a whole country . The award item may be
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