Karen
Katen Acceptance Remarks Iphigene Ochs Sulzberger
Award Barnard College Thursday, March 30, 2000
Thank
you, President Shapiro. It's great to be here this
evening and to be a part of this wonderful celebration.
It
is a terrific honor to receive this award -- an
award that invokes a woman of independence and compassion,
a woman who was a great leader and who understood
better than most the extent to which global events
would shape the course of our shared future.
Her renown as a patron of educational and social
causes makes me certain that Mrs. Sulzberger would
have been a strong advocate for women's health and
for health literacy. Both these causes are in keeping
with her commitment to improving the world through
the transfer of knowledge, and Pfizer is proud to
join that commitment.
I'm
sure that Mrs. Sulzberger would also have been supportive
of the many ways in which so many modern corporations,
including Pfizer, are increasingly focused on meeting
the needs of their diverse workforces.
Just
as Mrs. Sulzberger was so proud of her connection
to this wonderful College, Pfizer is very proud
to count so many Barnard graduates in our ranks…
and many of you are here with us tonight.
Of
course, Mrs. Sulzberger is just one of many distinguished
Barnard alumnae -- a list that includes Jeane Kirkpatrick,
Zora Neal Hurston, and Margaret Mead. Barnard women
have truly had an impact on every aspect of American
life.
As
their valuable contributions remind us, Barnard
is a place where young minds gain the insight and
experience that will prepare them for lives of great
achievement.
The
College's long legacy of teaching young women to
think with rigor, patience, and an open mind has
made a tremendous difference in the lives of so
many alumnae and students… and, moreover, to communities
around the world where Barnard graduates are making
a significant difference.
Of
course, it's here in New York City where Barnard's
influence is felt most powerfully. Pfizer shares
Barnard's New York roots -- our company was founded
here over 150 years ago -- and we also take our
civic responsibility to this great city very seriously.
But
even greater than our commitment to community is
our shared commitment to people -- a commitment
based on empowerment, respect, and development.
As
one of the nation's great academic institutions,
Barnard works to push and extend the limits of the
human mind. As a healthcare company, Pfizer is charged
with fighting the limitations of the human body,
to ensure that the human spirit is free to dream
and thrive.
It's
this commitment to helping people help themselves
that has made both Pfizer and Barnard the leaders
in our respective endeavors.
Still,
as we look ahead, it's clear that the needs we are
both working to meet are growing exponentially.
In
fact, in today's highly competitive global marketplace,
we desperately need institutions where individual
talents can be developed and nurtured to their fullest
potential -- places where young people will have
the tools and the access they need to make the most
of their own potential and the world of opportunities
around them.
Barnard
is just such a place, and I know that Mrs. Sulzberger
would be thrilled to see the Barnard of the new
millennium.
Thank you very much.
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