Coast Guard Foundation Hedrick Fellow announced

by Caitlyn Ridgley on 6 Feb 2015 The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of Coast Guard members and their families, announced today the 2015 Coast Guard Foundation Hedrick Fellow.

New York Times’ journalist Thomas Friedman will visit the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut on Monday, February 23rd as the 20th Hedrick Fellow. While at the Coast Guard Academy, Mr. Friedman will participate in cadet-led academic seminars, attend a dinner in his honor and will deliver the Coast Guard Foundation Hedrick Fellowship Address to the corps of cadets on the evening of the 23rd.

An internationally known author and journalist, Friedman’s foreign affairs column in The New York Times appears twice a week with a focus on U.S. domestic politics and foreign policy, Middle East conflicts, international economics, environment, biodiversity and energy. Friedman won the Pulitzer Prize three times for his work at The New York Times – in 1983 and 1988 for international reporting, and in 2002 for Distinguished Commentary for 'his clarity of vision in commenting on the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat.' In 2004, Friedman was awarded the Overseas Press Club Award for lifetime achievement and the honorary title ‘Order of the British Empire (OBE)’ by Queen Elizabeth II. Friedman is also the author of six best-selling books.

'Supporting Coast Guard Academy cadets is an integral part of the Coast Guard Foundation's mission,' said Anne Brengle, Coast Guard Foundation president. 'Exposing cadets to prominent leaders is an important step in forming these future officers' leadership skills. The Coast Guard Foundation Hedrick Fellow is a continuing part of that mission.'

Established by the Coast Guard Foundation’s Frank E. and Harriet E. Hedrick in 1982, the fellowship brings world-renowned political, military and industry leaders to the United States Coast Guard Academy to share their knowledge and insight with cadets and faculty, and provides an opportunity for the Coast Guard's future officers to learn from the experiences of America's most distinguished leaders. Past Hedrick Fellows include: William F. Buckley Jr.; former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter; former Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, Sandra Day O'Connor and Warren Burger; former Secretary of State James A. Baker; and former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, to name a few.

To learn more about the Coast Guard Foundation, or to help support its work, please visit website or call (860) 535-0786.