The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Announces Sponsorship of PBS’ 32nd Annual National Memorial Day Concert
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2021
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Carly Colombo
PRESS RELEASE
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Announces Sponsorship of PBS’ 32nd Annual National Memorial Day Concert
Concert to honor our American heroes with all-star performances and tributes on Sunday, May 30 at 8:00 p.m. EST on PBS
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 27, 2021) – Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education, is pleased to announce that thanks to Association leadership, the organization is proud to sponsor of the 32nd National Memorial Day Concert on PBS. For more than three decades, this multi-award-winning television event has honored the military service of men and women in uniform, 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 Lee R. Anderson, Sr. (‘14), Sherian Grace Cadoria (‘03), Vance L. Cryer (’19), James H. Doolittle (’72), Robert J. Dole (’88), R. James Nicholson (’00), and Colin L. Powell (’91).
“Thanks to a group of Members, the Association is pleased to support the 32nd National Memorial Day Concert,” said James F. Dicke II, president, Horatio Alger Association and 2015 Horatio Alger Award recipient. “Our organization honors perseverance, integrity, bravery, compassion. We recognize that these values—values that embody what it means to be American – stand strong today because of the sacrifice of veterans—service men and women and military families. My fellow Members and I are honored to pay tribute to them in this special way.”
“We are delighted to welcome the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans as a new underwriter for the National Memorial Day Concert,” said Michael Colbert, Capital Concerts Executive Producer. “The concert highlights personal stories of service to country and perseverance under difficult circumstances. We applaud the Association’s impact on America’s future leaders through its investment in deserving students who have also faced significant adversity but displayed unmatched resilience in overcoming these challenges.”
The National Memorial Day Concert will be hosted by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise with performances and tributes from Washington, D.C. and around the country saluting American heroes. Although traditionally held live on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the concert—one of PBS’ highest-rated programs—will air as a special pre-taped 90-minute show. The evening serves as a reminder of the real meaning of Memorial Day by sharing the personal stories of service men and women and their families. The 2021 concert will feature special tributes to:
- Vietnam Nurses – Performed by Emmy Award-winning actress Kathy Baker (PICKET FENCES) The evening will honor the more than 265,000 women who served during the Vietnam War era and the sacrifice and heroism of the nurses who saved thousands of lives.
- 70th Anniversary of the Korean War – Portrayed by Emmy Award-winning actor Joe Morton (SCANDAL) The concert will recognize the more than 1.7 million Americans sent to fight in this brutal conflict, and the more than 36,000 American lives lost. The 2nd Ranger Infantry Company, the elite, all-Black Airborne group that opened doors for all African American men and women in uniform, will be specially honored.
- 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and Gold Star Families – Featuring Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Steve Buscemi (BOARDWALK EMPIRE), acclaimed actresses Mary McCormack (WEST WING) and Bailee Madison (A WEEK AWAY). In a segment hosted by Steve Buscemi, the evening will commemorate the 20 years since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, remembering all who died that tragic day and in the two decades since in service to our nation. The concert will also honor the service members and their families by a generation at war and share the poignant story of one Gold Star Family.
The special tributes will be interwoven with guest speakers and musical performances by the National Symphony Orchestra and other artists. Country music star Mickey Guyton will open the show with a special performance of the national anthem. Other featured participants include American statesman and 1991 Horatio Alger Award recipient Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret); seven-time Grammy Award-winner Gladys Knight; country music superstar Vince Gill; Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress and author Sara Bareilles; multi-platinum country music icon Alan Jackson; internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves; Motown legends The Four Tops; Broadway, film and television star Brian d’Arcy James; members of the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Jack Everly; a new special Salute to Services with the Joint Chiefs of Staff from the Pentagon; and a message from General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The National Memorial Day Concert airs on PBS stations on Sunday, May 30, 2021, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. EDT. It will be broadcasted to U.S. troops around the world on the American Forces Network. The concert will also be streaming on Facebook, YouTube and http://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and available as Video on Demand, May 30 to June 13, 2021.
The Association honors all of our country’s courageous veterans and service men and women, including the following Horatio Alger Association Members:
Robert H. Abplanalp
Buzz Aldrin
Joe L. Allbritton
Wally Amos
Lee R. Anderson, Sr.
Walter Anderson
James R. Andrews, M.D.
Al Annexstad
George L. Argyros, Sr.
Roy L. Ash
Gene Autry
William E. Bailey
Karl D. Bays
Sandy Beaver
Howard O. Beaver, Jr.
Robert Beyster
John R. Block
Michael Bongiovanni
John Bowles
Walter Brennan
Jack H. Brown
Art Buchwald
Dean L. Buntrock
Harold Burson
Sherian Grace Cadoria
James R. Caldwell
Wesley E. Cantrell
Lester W. Carter
Johnny Cash
Truett Cathy
Carl Chandler
Marvin Chandler
Arthur A. Ciocca
James H. Clark
William P. Clements, Jr.
James A. Collins
John W. Colloton
John B. Connally
William Alfred Cook
Delos M. Cosgrove
Thomas G. Cousins
Robert L. Crandall
John C. Crean
Trammell Crow
Henry Crown
Vance L. Cryer
Emmett J. Culligan
Raymond L. Danner
John H. Dasburg
Peter M. Dawkins
William E.C. Dearden
Michael E. DeBakey
Robert H. Dedman
John Paul DeJoria
Jerry E. Dempsey
Richard M. DeVos
Robert J. Dole
William J. Donlon
James H. Doolittle
Adron Doran
Michael E. Dougherty
Archie W. Dunham
Percy J. Ebbot
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Leonard L. Farber
Robert E. Farrell
Clarence C. Finley
Lee F. Flaherty
Sam M. Fleming
Robert S. Fogarty, Jr.
Hiram L. Fong
Gerald R. Ford
Sam Fox
Tommy Ray Franks
Alwin F. Franz
Foster Stephen Friess
Robert P. Gerholz
Terry M. Giles
Robert Blyth Goergen
Stedman Graham
Harry J. Gray
William E. Greehey
Jenard M. Gross
Peter M. Guida
Chuck Hagel
Edmund A. Hajim
George S. Halas
Michel T. Halbouty
Bruce T. Halle
Alexander G. Hardy
Thomas L. Harken
Leon W. Harman
Paul Harvey
James A. Haslam II
Robert Wayne Hawkinson
Walter J. Hickel
Clayton Paul Hilliard
Richard D. Holland
Dennis Franklin Holt
Clifford F. Hood
Edward A. Horrigan, Jr.
John A. Howard
Wayne Huizenga
Jon M. Huntsman
Arthur E. Imperatore, Sr.
Daniel K. Inouye
Russell L. Isaacs
Arthur G. James
Dean W. Jeffers
James Earl Jones
Earle M. Jorgensen
Ewing Marion Kauffman
Dee J. Kelly
Patrick C. Kelly
Donald R. Keough
Jeong H. Kim
James V. Kimsey
Henry A. Kissinger
Richard L. Knowlton
Alexander Kroll
Thomas W. Landry
Kenneth G. Langone
Harold F. Lenfest
Alfred Lerner
Richard L. Lesher
Gilbert E. LeVasseur, Jr.
Samuel H. Levinson
James J. Ling
Bernie Little, Sr.
Allen Ludden
John D. MacArthur
Walter S. Mack
James J. Maguire, Sr.
Frederic V. Malek
Vincent G. Marotta
Abraham Lincoln Marovitz
Harvey L. Massey
Warren E. McCain
John H. McConnell
Robert A. McDonald
Charles A. McKee
Rod McKuen
Ed McMahon
Frank A. McPherson
Harry A. Merlo
Howard M. Meyers
Alan B. Miller
Thomas E. Millsop
George P. Mitchell
George J. Mitchell
Joseph R. Moderow
James R. Moffett
Thomas S. Monaghan
Thomas W. Moore
Jim Moran
John A. Moran
Michael G. Morris
Charles Stewart Mott
Frank C. Nicholas
James Nicholson
John J. O’Connor
James A. Patterson
Allen E. Paulson
William T. Payne
Ross Perot, Sr.
Ann Person
Lewis H. Phillips
Charles J. Pilliod, Jr.
Carl R. Pohlad
Harold A. Poling
Colin L. Powell
Gwilym A. Price
James H. Pugh, Jr.
Ronald Reagan
Steven S Reinemund
D.B. Reinhart
Frank E. Resnik
Harold J. Richards
Edward V. Rickenbacker
Carl H. Ricker, Jr.
Harry S. Rinker
Joseph Robbie
Josue Robles, Jr.
David M. Roderick
Juan Antonio Rodríguez
Richard M. Rosenberg
Darrell Royal
Howard A. Rusk
William G. Salatich
Denny Sanford
Harold G. Scheie
Stephen C. Schott
Peter G. Scotese
Ray W. Scott, Jr.
Walter Scott, Jr.
John H. Scully
Tom Selleck
James M. Seneff, Jr.
Beurt R. SerVaas
Mark Shepherd, Jr.
Delford M. Smith
George V. Smith
Alex G. Spanos
Jack D. Sparks
William H. Spoor
Earl W. Stafford, Sr.
Harold E. Stassen
Roger T. Staubach
Manfred Steinfeld
Herbert J. Stiefel
Carl B. Stokes
Peter W. Stott
Homer Surbeck
William B. Tabler, Sr.
Ronald Terwilliger
David Thomas
David A. Thompson
Charles B. Thornton
Henry B. Tippie
Harold Toppel
Monroe E. Trout
Fred L. Turner
R.E. Turner
Romeo J. Ventres
Hicks B. Waldron
Sam M. Walton
Ronald C. Waranch
Herbert A. Wertheim
Carl H. Westcott
Kemmons Wilson
Huey J. Wilson
Sidney D. Wolk
Benjamin H. Wooten
Michael W. Wright
Michael B. Yanney
Charles E. Yeager
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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 2020, the Association awarded more than $21 million in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships to 2,500 students across the United States and Canada and provided college support and mentoring services to its Scholars. Since 1984, the Association has awarded more than $235 million in undergraduate, graduate, military veteran and career and technical education scholarships to more than 35,000 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 Festival Award, the Golden Cine Award, and the Writer’s Guild of America Award.