12 Accomplished Business, Cultural and Philanthropic Leaders Selected for Prestigious 2025 Horatio Alger Award

The Horatio Alger Association recognizes esteemed individuals who have overcome significant adversities to achieve great personal and professional success.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization that honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have overcome adversity and supports promising young people to pursue their American Dream through higher education and technical scholarships, today announced the 12 recipients of its 2025 Horatio Alger Award. For 78 years, this annual award has been presented to exceptional corporate, civic and cultural trailblazers from across the country who have succeeded despite facing significant challenges. The Horatio Alger Association recognizes this new class of Members for their lifelong achievements, commitment to education, and continued philanthropic efforts in their communities and beyond.

The Horatio Alger Association, which is dedicated to promoting and ensuring the American Dream for future generations, will honor the following individuals, all of whom embody its core values of perseverance, integrity and a commitment to excellence, with lifetime membership into the organization:

• Adrienne Arsht, executive vice chair, Atlantic Council, and chairman emerita, TotalBank
• Thomas J. Baltimore, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer, Park Hotels & Resorts
• William Baine Berry, former chief executive officer, Continental Resources, Inc. and former executive vice president, ConocoPhillips
• Fernando R. De Leon, founder and chief executive officer, Leon Capital Group
• Tony DiBenedetto, CEO, Appspace and founder and chair, Think Big for Kids
• Howard S. Dvorkin, chairman, Debt.com and founder, Consolidated Credit and Parkland Cares
• Lee Greenwood, American musician, singer and songwriter
• E.G. "Ken" Kendrick, Jr., managing general partner, Arizona Diamondbacks
• Christopher Merrill, co-founder, chairman and CEO, Harrison Street
• William P. Mills, III, president and owner, MPW Enterprises LLC
• Jon W. Pritchett, president and chief executive officer, Nextran Truck Centers
• Victor Paul Winkler, president and chief executive officer, Metro Metals Northwest, Inc.

"Each year, we take great pride in presenting extraordinary leaders with the Horatio Alger Award and inducting them as lifetime Members of our Association," said Barbara Barrett, chairman, Horatio Alger Association and 1999 Horatio Alger Award recipient. "These 12 individuals personify the American Dream and demonstrate that it remains within reach for all who are determined to pursue it. We welcome them and look forward to the impact they will make as we continue to promote the values that define our organization and invest in the next generation."

Through its Members, Horatio Alger Association aims to teach young people about the limitless possibilities available through the American free-enterprise system. Since 1984, the Association has awarded annual need-based scholarships to high school students who have overcome significant obstacles and showcase a commitment to continuing their education and making a unique contribution to society. The scholarships are entirely privately funded thanks to the generosity of Association Members and supporters, who have collectively provided more than $265 million to 37,000 students over the past 40 years.

"This distinguished group of honorees, with their remarkable stories of overcoming adversity and achieving success, will serve as inspiration for our Scholars as they embark on their own journeys through higher education and beyond," said Lesley Albanese, chief executive officer, Horatio Alger Association.

The 2025 Horatio Alger Award recipients will be formally inducted into the Association during the 78^th Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. from April 3-5, 2025. The annual three-day event honors the achievements of both Members and Scholars, who will have the unique opportunity to meet, interact and exchange stories of perseverance throughout the multi-day celebration.

For more information about Horatio Alger Association and its Member Class of 2025, please visit www.horatioalger.org and follow the organization on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X.

About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans:  

Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. The Association honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have accomplished remarkable successes in spite of adversity by bestowing upon them the Horatio Alger Award and inducting them as lifetime Members. Horatio Alger Members support promising young people with the resources and confidence needed to overcome adversity in pursuit of their dreams through higher education. Through the generosity of its Members and friends, in 2025, the Association has budgeted to award more than $17.4 million in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships to students across the United States and Canada, and continues to provide comprehensive academic, personal, and professional support services to its Scholars. Over the past 40 years, more than $265 million has been awarded in undergraduate, graduate, military veteran and career and technical education scholarships to more than 37,000 deserving students. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

CONTACT:
McKenna Young
[email protected] 

SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.