PA Society Approaches: Vice President Biden to Receive Gold Medal at 115th Pennsylvania Society Dinner on Saturday Dec. 14

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in its 115-year history, The Pennsylvania Society will honor a sitting Vice President of the United States with its prestigious Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement. The public presentation of the award to Vice President Joseph Biden will take place during the Society's annual holiday dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City on Saturday, December 14.

"Past Gold Medal recipients have included business and industrial pioneers, military leaders and past presidents. But never before have we recognized a sitting elected official at the level of the Vice President of the United States," said Jim Nevels, President of The Pennsylvania Society. "We are extremely honored to have Vice President Biden, a son of Pennsylvania, join us to receive the 2013 Pennsylvania Society Gold Medal."

The Society's annual dinner is a must-attend gathering of Pennsylvania leaders and Society members from all around the world.

The Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement was founded at the Society's dinner in 1908 and is given to a prominent person in recognition of leadership, citizenship and contributions to the arts, science, education and industry. The 2012 Gold Medal was given to world-renowned filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan.

Born in Scranton, Vice President Biden moved with his family to Delaware when Biden was 10. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972, at only 29 years of age, and was re-elected six times. When then-Senator Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination for President in 2008, he chose then-Senator Biden to be his running mate. President Obama and Vice President Biden took office in January 2009, and were re-elected in November 2012. Pennsylvania was instrumental in their elections each time.

Founded in 1899, the Pennsylvania Society is a non-profit, non-partisan patriotic and charitable organization with more than 2,000 members from The Commonwealth and throughout the United States and the world. Founded to encourage the ideals of William Penn, its purpose is to honor achievement, reward excellence, promote scholarship, good will and understanding, and unite all Pennsylvanians in bonds of fellowship and friendship. 

For additional information about The Pennsylvania Society, please visit www.pasociety.com.   

CONTACT:
Carol M. Fitzgerald
Executive Director
The Pennsylvania Society
(215) 233-2650

SOURCE The Pennsylvania Society