New York University President L. Jay Oliva today announced that the University is bestowing the 2002 Albert Gallatin Medal on Maurice Greenberg, chairman and CEO of American International Group (AIG), the world-wide insurance and financial services firm. The Gallatin Medal is presented each year to a member of the University community who makes an outstanding contribution to society.
The award was presented to Mr. Greenberg at the annual Trustees Dinner, which is held the evening before Commencement. In presenting it, Dr. Oliva read the following citation:
“A distinguished business leader renowned for his entrepreneurial ability, Maurice Greenberg has since 1967 been the chief executive officer of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), a leading international insurance and financial services organization operating in 130 countries and jurisdictions worldwide. He also serves as chairman, a position he has held since 1989.
“A visionary and innovator, Mr. Greenberg was one of the first corporate executives to recognize the potential for the globalization of financial services. He has traveled to China extensively since the 1970s and, in 1992, with his guidance, AIG became the first foreign insurance company to operate there in 40 years. As a result of his international initiatives, Mr. Greenberg has become an acknowledged authority in the field of conducting private-sector ventures overseas.
“A trustee of New York University since 1978, he is chairman of The Starr Foundation, which has been a major benefactor of the University for many decades, having made gifts that total in the tens of millions of dollars. The Maurice Greenberg Professorship in Holocaust Studies, a joint project of NYU and the Holocaust Museum, was named to honor him.
“Mr. Greenberg lends his talents to many prominent national organizations, among which are the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, The Business Roundtable, and the Council on Foreign Relations. A philanthropist, he supports through his family foundation medical research, museums, and Jewish educational and cultural activities. And as a guiding force behind The Starr Foundation, he helps to provide essential financial support to a wide range of academic, medical, cultural, and public policy institutions.
“For his service to society, his support of this University, and his contributions to the furtherance of international business and social relations, New York University is honored to present the Albert Gallatin Medal to Maurice R. Greenberg.”