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Horatio Alger Association to Sponsor PBS’ Annual National Memorial Day Concert for Fourth Consecutive Year

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Concert will honor American heroes with all-star performances and tributes on Sunday, May 26 at 8:00 p.m. EST on PBS

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 22, 2024) – Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams by providing scholarships for higher education, is pleased to announce that, thanks to the generosity of Association leadership, it will be the lead underwriter of the annual National Memorial Day Concert on PBS for the fourth year in a row. This renowned multi-award-winning television event honors America’s service men and women, their families and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

The Horatio Alger Association was established in 1947 to dispel the mounting belief among our nation’s youth that the American Dream was no longer attainable – a Dream that today remains within reach because of the service and sacrifice of our military men and women. The accomplishments of Horatio Alger Members and the hope that lies within Horatio Alger Scholars and Alumni are possible because our country’s freedom is protected. More than 200 Members and hundreds more Alumni Scholars are veterans of the U.S. military, including former Presidents Herbert Hoover (’53), Dwight Eisenhower (’61), Gerald Ford (’83) and Ronald Reagan (’69), as well as former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (’92), former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald (’22) and R. James Nicholson (’00), and Brigadier General of the United States Air Force, Charles Yeager (’86).

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of my fellow Members, we are thrilled to once again extend our support to the National Memorial Day Concert,” said James F. Dicke II, chairman of the Horatio Alger Association and 2015 Horatio Alger Award recipient. “Our country’s service men and women embody perseverance, integrity and compassion – values that our organization also honors. It brings the Association great joy to pay tribute to their sacrifices through this special concert.”

The National Memorial Day Concert will be hosted by Tony Award-winning actor Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winning actor Gary Sinise, two champions of veterans causes and active service members. The evening will feature special tributes led by Bryan Cranston (World War II), BD Wong (Gold Star Families Remembrance) and Jena Malone (Honoring a Generation’s Service) as well as moving performances by Cynthia Erivo, Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, Jamey Johnson, Mary McCormack, Ruthie Ann Miles, Patina Miller and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jack Everly.

“The Association is proud to have inducted so many veterans as lifetime Members over the 77 years since our founding,” said Lesley Albanese, chief executive officer of the Horatio Alger Association. “Supporting the National Memorial Day Concert is a way of paying our respects to them – and to all the brave men and women who have selflessly served our country. Many of the stories that define our great nation are only possible in America, and only possible because our freedoms are protected.”

The National Memorial Day Concert airs on PBS Sunday, May 26, 2024, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. E.T., as well as to our troops serving around the world on American Forces Network. The concert will also be streaming on www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and YouTube and available as Video on Demand, May 26 to June 9, 2024.

The Association honors all our country’s courageous veterans and service men and women, including the following Horatio Alger Association Members:

About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans:

Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. The Association honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have accomplished remarkable successes in spite of adversity by bestowing upon them the Horatio Alger Award and inducting them as lifetime Members. Horatio Alger Members support promising young people with the resources and confidence needed to overcome adversity in pursuit of their dreams through higher education. Through the generosity of its Members and friends, in 2024, the Association is awarding more than $18 million in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships to 1,800 students across the United States and Canada, and continuing to provide comprehensive academic, personal, and professional support services to its Scholars. Over the past 40 years, more than $265 million has been awarded in undergraduate, graduate, military veteran and career and technical education scholarships to more than 37,000 deserving students. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

About Capital Concerts:

Capital Concerts is the nation’s leading producer of live patriotic television shows, including PBS’s highest-rated performance specials: the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT and A CAPITOL FOURTH, the premier celebrations of America’s most important holidays broadcast from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. For over 40 years, these two award-winning productions have become national traditions, bringing us together as one family of Americans to celebrate our freedom and democratic ideals and to pay tribute to those who defend them. The holiday specials have been honored with over 80 awards including the New York Film Festivals TV and Film Award, the Telly Award, and the Writers Guild of America, among others.

The program is a co-production of Michael Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA, Washington, D.C. Executive producer Michael Colbert has assembled an award-winning production team that features the top Hollywood talent behind some of television’s most prestigious entertainment awards shows including the ACADEMY AWARDS, GRAMMY AWARDS, COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, TONY AWARDS, and more.