Legendary Atlanta Executive and Renowned Philanthropist J. Ronald Terwilliger Selected for Prestigious Horatio Alger Award - Class of 2014

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2013 /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 J. Ronald Terwilliger, chairman emeritus of Trammell Crow Residential Company, will be inducted as a Member of this prestigious Association next spring.  Mr. Terwilliger joins eleven other outstanding business and civic leaders from across North America in receiving this honor.  Since its inception in 1947, this annual award has recognized exceptional leaders – all with a commitment to philanthropy and higher education – who have overcome significant personal challenges to achieve success. 

Born in Washington, D.C., Mr. Terwilliger was raised in Arlington, VA, where he began working at age 12 to help with family expenses.  A gifted athlete, he attended George Washington University on a basketball scholarship and drove a bus to earn additional money for personal expenses.  As a freshman there, his basketball career was interrupted – and thought to be ended – when he was diagnosed with Spondylolistheses, a displacement of vertebra in the back.  During this break from athletics, Mr. Terwilliger was recruited by the U.S Naval Academy.  He transferred and not only graduated in the top five percent of his class but returned to athletics becoming an all-star member of Navy's basketball and baseball teams.   He served in the U.S. Navy for five years before attending Harvard Business School.  At Harvard he graduated in the top 5 percent of his class and was elected a Baker Scholar.  Mr. Terwilliger joined Sea Pines Plantation Company upon graduation and became president in just three years.  Later, he became chief financial officer at the Henry C. Beck Company before being offered a partnership at the Trammell Crow Residential Company.  He assumed the role of CEO in 1986, just six years after his arrival, and under his leadership the company grew to become the largest developer of multifamily housing in the United States.  He retired after 23 years as CEO in 2009.

"Ron Terwilliger is one of the nation's most renowned executives and philanthropists, and we are proud to welcome him as a lifetime Member of the Association," said Tony Novelly, president and CEO, Horatio Alger Association and 2000 Horatio Alger Award recipient.  "His professional success is extraordinary but it takes on new meaning when one understands the work ethic, drive and resilience that define Mr. Terwilliger's character.  We have no doubt that his story will serve as a model for our Scholars – past, present and future." 

Mr. Terwilliger is the Chair of Habitat for Humanity's Global Capital Campaign, the Terwilliger Center for Workforce House at the Urban Land Institute, the "I Have a Dream" Foundation and Enterprise Community Partners.  He has donated a $100 million legacy gift to Habitat for Humanity International, which will help 60,000 families access improved housing conditions.  Mr. Terwilliger has also been named a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and honored with the National Patriotism Award in 2012.

In accepting the Horatio Alger Award, Mr. Terwilliger commented, "To be part of such an esteemed group of leaders is both gratifying and humbling.  I learned hard work from my father who worked two jobs when I was a young boy to provide us the basics.  I look forward to helping the Association perpetuate its mission of preserving the American Dream – a dream that I have been lucky enough to live." 

Mr. Terwilliger and his cohort will officially be inducted as Members during the Association's annual three-day induction ceremonies, which will be held in Washington, D.C. in April 2014.  In addition to honoring these outstanding leaders, Horatio Alger Association will also recognize its 2014 National Scholarship recipients, providing an opportunity for Scholars and Members to meet and exchange stories of their respective perseverance and success.

In addition to presenting its annual award, Horatio Alger Association administers one of the largest, privately-funded scholarship programs for at-risk students in the United States and Canada.  Funding for its scholarships, which annually provides more than $9 million to selected students in need, is wholly supported by private donations from Association Members and friends. 

For more information about Horatio Alger Association and a full list of its Class of 2014, please visit http://horatioalger.org/news_pr_members2014.cfm.

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: 
Nikki Elkins 
484-385-2958 (office)
[email protected]

SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.