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A granddaughter born during President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first term in office will receive the Harry S. Truman Award for Public Service next month.
Mary Jean Eisenhower, president and chief executive officer of the People to People International, will receive the honor, which has been awarded annually since 1974 (except 1991) at 7 p.m. May 6 on the steps of the Truman Library, 500 W. U.S. 24. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and reception, which will take place inside the lobby immediately following the ceremony. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place inside the library’s auditorium.
The award is given annually to an outstanding public servant who best possesses the qualities of dedication, industry, ability, honesty and integrity that distinguished Truman in his years of public service. The Harry S. Truman Public Service Award Commission, chaired by Mayor Don Reimal, makes the selection each year.
Alongside Mary Eisenhower, state Sen. Victor Callahan, D-Independence, will receive the Harry S. Truman Special Recognition Award on May 6. An Independence native, Callahan, 47, has been active in civic organizations his entire adult life. He has represented the 11th State Senate District since 2003 and serves as floor leader of the Missouri Senate Democrats.
People to People International has its world headquarters in Kansas City. President Eisenhower founded the People to People Program on Sept. 11, 1956, and Mary Eisenhower has said that she joined the organization in hopes to carry on her grandfather’s dream. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to enhancing cross-cultural communication within each community and across communities and nations, with tolerance and mutual understanding as its central themes, according to its website.
Among the early leaders who worked with President Eisenhower were J.C. Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards, Walt Disney and Bob Hope. In 1999, Mary Eisenhower established the People to People International Friend Fund following an inspirational visit to an orphanage in Morocco. The fund aims to assist the organization in global humanitarian efforts.
Mary has received an honorary doctorate in letter of humane from Schiller International University. She also was awarded the Knight of Peace Award from the International University in Assisi, Italy.
Callahan served as the District 2 Independence City Council member from 1988 to 1992. He was the legislative assistant to state Sen. Ronnie DePasco from 1992 to 1994.
In 1994, Callahan was elected to the Jackson County Legislature as 1st-District-at-Large legislator. He became chairman of the County Legislature in 1996 and served until 2002.
Upon the death of DePasco, Callahan ran for the 11th District seat and was elected to fill it in November 2003. He won re-election in November 2004 and again in 2008.
In February 2004, he formed a task force to address the problems facing the Kansas City School District in western Independence and in Sugar Creek. That task force started a community discussion about the likelihood of moving the area into the Independence School District, and in November 2007, voters overwhelmingly approved the boundary change.
A granddaughter born during President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first term in office will receive the Harry S. Truman Award for Public Service next month.
Mary Jean Eisenhower, president and chief executive officer of the People to People International, will receive the honor, which has been awarded annually since 1974 (except 1991) at 7 p.m. May 6 on the steps of the Truman Library, 500 W. U.S. 24. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and reception, which will take place inside the lobby immediately following the ceremony. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place inside the library’s auditorium.
The award is given annually to an outstanding public servant who best possesses the qualities of dedication, industry, ability, honesty and integrity that distinguished Truman in his years of public service. The Harry S. Truman Public Service Award Commission, chaired by Mayor Don Reimal, makes the selection each year.
Alongside Mary Eisenhower, state Sen. Victor Callahan, D-Independence, will receive the Harry S. Truman Special Recognition Award on May 6. An Independence native, Callahan, 47, has been active in civic organizations his entire adult life. He has represented the 11th State Senate District since 2003 and serves as floor leader of the Missouri Senate Democrats.
People to People International has its world headquarters in Kansas City. President Eisenhower founded the People to People Program on Sept. 11, 1956, and Mary Eisenhower has said that she joined the organization in hopes to carry on her grandfather’s dream. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to enhancing cross-cultural communication within each community and across communities and nations, with tolerance and mutual understanding as its central themes, according to its website.
Among the early leaders who worked with President Eisenhower were J.C. Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards, Walt Disney and Bob Hope. In 1999, Mary Eisenhower established the People to People International Friend Fund following an inspirational visit to an orphanage in Morocco. The fund aims to assist the organization in global humanitarian efforts.
Mary has received an honorary doctorate in letter of humane from Schiller International University. She also was awarded the Knight of Peace Award from the International University in Assisi, Italy.
Callahan served as the District 2 Independence City Council member from 1988 to 1992. He was the legislative assistant to state Sen. Ronnie DePasco from 1992 to 1994.
In 1994, Callahan was elected to the Jackson County Legislature as 1st-District-at-Large legislator. He became chairman of the County Legislature in 1996 and served until 2002.
Upon the death of DePasco, Callahan ran for the 11th District seat and was elected to fill it in November 2003. He won re-election in November 2004 and again in 2008.
In February 2004, he formed a task force to address the problems facing the Kansas City School District in western Independence and in Sugar Creek. That task force started a community discussion about the likelihood of moving the area into the Independence School District, and in November 2007, voters overwhelmingly approved the boundary change.
