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from PRINCETON UNIVERSITY U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to deliver address at Princeton University in 2004PRINCETON, N.J. -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has accepted an invitation to deliver an opening address during Princeton University's upcoming George F. Kennan Centennial Conference, University officials confirmed today. While he is on campus, undergraduate students plan to present Secretary Powell with the inaugural Crystal Tiger Award for serving as an "agent of progress." The University is planning the daylong conference for Friday, Feb. 20, 2004, in honor of Kennan's 100th birthday. Kennan, a member of Princeton's class of 1925, was a pre-eminent diplomat who crafted what for many years was the nation's most significant and defining foreign policy tenet. Kennan's strategy, known as "containment," became the cornerstone of American foreign policy toward the U.S.S.R during the Cold War. "Secretary of State Powell's participation in this event is a fitting tribute to Ambassador Kennan's unparalleled career in U.S. foreign service," said Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman. "We are delighted that Secretary Powell has agreed to honor George Kennan and, indeed, all Princetonians who have served with distinction in the diplomatic corps." The conference, which will feature academics, diplomats and journalists discussing the Cold War, its end and the future of American diplomacy, is being organized by the University's Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library. Secretary Powell's talk will be co-hosted by the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. In a separate event, students plan to honor Powell by naming him the inaugural recipient of the Crystal Tiger Award. "The award honors an individual who has had a transformative impact on our common experience during our common time," said Rishi Jaitly, a Princeton senior and student coordinator of the recently created award program. "Secretary of State Powell has played magnificent roles as both citizen and public figure throughout his life and commanded worldwide respect and adulation." More details related to Secretary Powell's visit will be announced in February. Journalists who wish to receive more information about the event should submit contact information to Liz Patten, epatten@princeton.edu, (609) 258-3601. |