Eugene M. Lang*

Born to immigrant parents in 1919, Eugene Lang grew up in New York City. During the Great Depression, he attended public schools and at age 15 was admitted as a scholarship student to Swarthmore College. An economics major, he graduated in 1938 and was employed as a writer of business reports and as the production planner for an aircraft parts company while earning a business degree from Columbia University. He also took mechanical engineering courses at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute.

In 1952, Lang founded REFAC Technology Development Corp. For more than 60 years, he pursued his business career both at home and abroad, creating diverse manufacturing ventures based on new products and innovative technologies. He became recognized globally as having pioneered licensing and technology transfer as a practical means for small U.S. manufacturers to establish their business interests overseas.

Forbes magazine characterized Lang as the "quintessential entrepreneur," and Nation's Business called him "a father of innovation." An active supporter of small business interests, he received the government's "E" Award from President John F. Kennedy as well as commendations for distinguished service on seven overseas trade development and policy missions of the Commerce and State departments.

After establishing the Eugene M. Lang Foundation in 1963, Lang increasingly directed himself to philanthropy, mainly in education. In 1981, he created the nationwide "I Have a Dream" program to provide sustained personalized guidance and support to many thousands of disadvantaged children. In 2001, Lang established Project Pericles to work with colleges and universities to counter the declining participation of young Americans in the democratic process.

Lang also established the Eugene M. Lang Center for Entrepreneurship at the Columbia University Business School. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush designated him as a "Point of Light," and President Bill Clinton later awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, this country's highest civilian award. Over the years, Lang donated more than $150 million to charitable causes.