The first laureate of IDI's Democracy Award, in 1993, was Prof. George P. Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State, honored in recognition of his struggle and achievements in the promotion of human rights in general, and his contribution to the change in Soviet emigration policy with particular consequences for Soviet Jews and for Israel. As Honorary Chairman of the Israel Democracy Institute, Prof. Shultz enables the IDI to integrate its efforts in the international democratic arena.
George Shultz has had a distinguished career in government, academia, and business world. He is best-known internationally as the former Secretary of State in the Reagan administration, playing a key role in implementing a foreign policy that led to the successful conclusion of the Cold War and the development of strong relationships between the United States and the countries of
the Asia-Pacific region. Under President Reagan, he also served as Chairman of the Economic Policy Advisory Board. Prior to this, he was appointed Secretary of Labor and then Secretary of the Treasury by President Nixon.
He received his B.A. from Princeton University and earned a Ph.D. in industrial economics at MIT. His academic career includes teaching at MIT, The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and The Center for Advanced Study at Stanford University.
In 1974, Professor Shultz left the government to become President and a Director of the Bechtel Group, Inc., where he remained until 1982. After leaving his office as Secretary of State in 1989, he rejoined the Bechtel Group as a Director and Senior Counselor and rejoined Stanford as Professor of International Economics at the Graduate School of Business and also as a distinguished fellow at the Hoover Institution.
Professor George Shultz has received numerous awards, including the Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian awards in the United States, which he was awarded in 1989.
He also serves on many boards, and is a member of the board of directors of Fremont Group and Accretive Health; Chairman of the J. P. Morgan Chase International Council; Chairman of the Accenture Energy Advisory Board; Chairman of the California Governor's Council of Economic Advisors; and Co-Chairman of the Committee on the Present Danger.
Professor Shultz’ publications include
Turmoil and Triumph: My Years as Secretary of State (1993),
Economic Policy Beyond the Headlines (1978, 2nd edition 1998), and
Workers and Wages in the Urban Labor Market (1970).