Foundation honors Western U president

The president of Western University of Health Sciences will be honored by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations Foundation, the university announced recently.

Philip Pumerantz, the university's founding president, will be presented the Foundation's 2011 Ellis Island Medal of Honor during a May 7 ceremony at the Great Hall on Ellis Island in New York Harbor.

The award recognizes U.S. citizens who embrace and carry out the American ideal of hard work, self- improvement and community service yet preserve the history, traditions and values of their ancestry, according to a university statement.

Recipients, among other things, build bridges between racial, ethnic and religious groups in the country and or outside the nation; use their talents in benefit of the local, national or international community; and contribute to the larger community in any field, profession or occupation, the statement said.

"I am honored to receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and am grateful to the (National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations) Foundation for considering me for it," Pumerantz said in a statement.

"I look forward to participating in the awards dinner and sharing the honor with this year's other medalists."

Among the past award recipients are President George H.W. Bush, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Madeleine Albright, Muhammad Ali, Anthony Quinn, Deepak Chopra and Joe DiMaggio.