New York City Executive and Generous Philanthropist Edmund A. Hajim to Receive 2015 Horatio Alger Award
Horatio Alger Association names 12 exceptional leaders, each of whom has overcome significant adversities in achieving personal and professional success, to its Member Class of 2015
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- 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, today announced that Edmund A. Hajim, president, Diker Management, LCC, has been selected for membership in the prestigious organization. Mr. Hajim joins eleven other accomplished business and civic leaders from across North America in receiving this honor in 2015. Since its establishment in 1947, the Horatio Alger Award is annually bestowed upon renowned leaders who have succeeded, despite facing adversity, and who are committed to both philanthropy and higher education.
Mr. Hajim was born in Los Angeles to financially challenged parents, neither of whom had a steady job or income. The couple divorced when he was 3, and despite the fact that his mother had legal custody, Mr. Hajim's father kidnapped him, telling him as a young boy that his mother had died. When World War II broke out, Mr. Hajim's father joined the Merchant Marines and placed his son in foster care. Upon his father's return, they lived in a local YMCA before moving into a hotel room. Later, his father again returned to sea and Mr. Hajim moved to an orphanage, which was the first stable period in his life. Despite his upbringing, he was an excellent student and athlete. He qualified for a Naval ROTC scholarship to attend the University of Rochester, where he majored in chemical engineering and was highly involved in a number of organizations. Following graduation, Mr. Hajim served in the U.S. Navy and the Naval Reserve. Upon the completion of his military service, he earned an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School. His first civilian job was as an applications research engineer, and throughout his career he held leadership positions at Capital Group, Inc., E.F. Hutton & Co., Lehman Securities and Lehman Management. In 1983, he joined Furman Selz LLC as chairman and later became CEO. Under his leadership, the firm grew more than tenfold in 14 years – and was eventually sold to Xerox in 1987, bought back in 1993, and sold to ING Group in 1997. After ING Group bought the company, Mr. Hajim became co-chairman of ING Barings Americas, chairman of ING Furman Selz Asset Management, and then chairman of ING Aeltus before starting his own investment partnerships. In 2010, he joined Diker Management LLC as president of the employee-owned investment management firm.
"Personal hardship is something that all Members of the Association share, but certainly Ed Hajim's story is a remarkable one as he overcame experiences in his childhood that would have defeated so many others," said Tony Novelly, president and CEO, Horatio Alger Association and 2000 Horatio Alger Award recipient. "His resilience, coupled with his incredible work ethic and accomplishments, made Mr. Hajim a natural selection for the Horatio Alger Award. We are very proud to welcome him to the Association as part of this outstanding class."
After 20 years as a trustee of the University of Rochester, Mr. Hajim became chairman of the Board of Trustees in 2008. He generously gifted the university $30 million – the single largest donation in its history – in support of engineering and applied sciences. Through the Hajim Family Foundation, generous donations have been made to organizations that promote education, health services, health care, arts, culture, conservation, preservation and recreation. He has provided more than 200 scholarships to deserving students at the University of Rochester, Harvard Business School, University of Vermont, University of Denver, Westchester Community College, the Brunswick School and Middlesex School.
In accepting this honor, Mr. Hajim commented, "Despite the unpredictable nature of my childhood, I was always taught the value of hard work and that ethic has been critical to all that I have done in my life. To be inducted into Horatio Alger Association and to have the opportunity to support young Americans, who like me, have overcome such significant adversity is a wonderful honor."
In addition to presenting its annual award, Horatio Alger Association administers one of the largest, privately-funded scholarship programs for students in the United States and Canada. These students, like the Members, have faced significant adversities, but have persevered and are determined to overcome life's challenges. Scholarships are wholly funded through private donations from Members, Life Partners and friends, and since 1984, the Association has provided more than $100 million to promising students in need.
Mr. Hajim and the Member Class of 2015 will be officially welcomed into the organization during the 68th Annual Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. April 9-11, 2015. In addition to recognizing these tremendous leaders, Horatio Alger Association will also honor its 2015 National Scholarship recipients, affording both groups the opportunity to meet and learn from one another.
For more information about Horatio Alger Association and a full list of its Class of 2015, please visit www.horatioalger.org.
About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans:
Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., fulfills its mission of honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals who have succeeded in spite of adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through higher education. Horatio Alger Association supports students through annual undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships and mentoring programs across the United States and Canada. Since 1984, the Association has awarded more than $100 million in college scholarships to deserving young people. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.
CONTACT:
Meg Kane
484-385-2938 (office)
[email protected]
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-york-city-executive-and-generous-philanthropist-edmund-a-hajim-to-receive-2015-horatio-alger-award-300013349.html
SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.
Share this article