The Henry G. Bennett Global Fellows Award
Program Overview
The Henry G. Bennett Global Fellows Award, housed in the School of Global Studies at Oklahoma State University, honors distinguished leaders, both international and local, who have provided leadership in addressing complex global issues, and honorees include many who have served at the highest level of their governments. Bennett Fellows are selected from a wide range of fields and disciplines, including academe, business, government, and non-profit sectors, who have distinguished careers through commitment to international engagement. Many of the honorees have ties to Oklahoma State University, but the program is not limited to OSU alumni, faculty, or staff.
History
The Henry G. Bennett Global Fellows Award is named for Henry G. Bennett, former president of Oklahoma State University, who made outstanding contributions to OSU, US higher education, and to nations around the world. Dr. Bennett served as President of Oklahoma A&M College, now known as Oklahoma State University, from 1928 until 1950, when he assumed the leadership of the Point IV Program. In his inaugural address in 1949, U.S. President Harry S. Truman outlined a program for peace and freedom “to embark on a bold new program for making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of the underdeveloped areas.” This idea was incorporated into what became known as the Point Four Program, which provided developing nations with technical assistance in education, public health, industry, and agriculture. The Point Four Program was the first US plan designed to improve social, economic and political conditions in underdeveloped nations. It marked the promotion of international development policy to the center of the U.S. foreign policy framework, and was the foundation for what later became known as the Agency for International Development.
The Henry G. Bennett Distinguished Fellows program began in 2001 to recognize global leaders who had made a significant contribution to addressing complex international issues. In 2022, it was changed to the Henry G. Bennett Global Fellows Award to better articulate the purpose of the award and to highlight those individuals with close ties to Oklahoma or Oklahoma State University who have made significant contributions to addressing international issues.
Bennett Global Fellows will include individuals who have achieved recognition for addressing issues in a complex global environment. They will be selected from a wide range of fields and disciplines including academe, business, government, the media, the military and the non-profit sector.
Nominations for the Henry G. Bennett Global Fellows Award are ordinarily individuals who have a personal connection to Oklahoma State University or the Oklahoma A&M System institutions, or the state of Oklahoma. In rare circumstances, individuals who do not have an OSU or Oklahoma connection might be recognized as Bennett Global Fellows, but these should be the exception.
Nominations for the Henry G. Bennett Global Fellows Award may be sent to the Dean of the School of Global Studies at Oklahoma State University.
Honorees of the Henry G. Bennett Global Fellows Award will be invited to a public presentation of the award at Oklahoma State University where they will receive a medallion and certificate of their recognition.
Previous Bennett Fellow Recipients
- 2001
Dr. Lawrence Boger
- Former President of OSU
- 2004
Richard Boger
Dr. B. Dell Felder
Dr. Clifton Wharton, Jr
- 2005
Dr. Duck Woo-Nam
- Former Fiance Minster and Prime Minister of South Korea
- OSU Alum
- 2006
Gen. Colin Powell
Hon. Wes Watkins
Harriet Fulbright
Ana Salazar
- 2007
Hon. Benjamin Gilman
Conrad Evans
Joy Evans
Col. R. Alan King
Paul Bass
Dr. Robert Sandmeyer
Judge Thomas Bennett
- 2008
Hon. Vicente Fox
- Former President of Mexico
Dr. M. Peter McPherson
Charles Eitel
Dr. B. Curtis Hamm
- 2009
M. Steve Forbes
Dr. Adnan Badran
Dr. James Halligan
Michael Hyatt
Dr. Paul Liao
- 2010
Dr. Condoloeezza Rice
Dr. Gebisa Ejeta
Hon. Rodger Randle
Dr. Richard Poole
Don & Cathey Humphrey
- 2011
Jack Welch
Tony Blair
Dr. Alfredo Miranda
- 2012Robert Gates
- 2022
Charles F. "Chic" Dambach
Rosan Roeslani
- Indonesian Ambassador to the United States