Honorees:

• Richard P. Cooley '44
• Charles B. Johnson '54
• Anne F. Keating '77
• W. James McNerney '71
• Kurt L. Schmoke '71

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - On Friday, Nov. 16, the Yale Athletic Department hosted the fourth Blue Leadership Ball and honored the recipients of the 2007 George H.W. Bush '48 Lifetime of Leadership Awards at the William K. Lanman Center inside Payne Whitney Gymnasium.

The Blue Leadership Ball is a bi-annual event that recognizes Yale University alumni athletes who have made significant contributions in the fields of government, business, science and technology, education, public service, law and the arts and media. The Award has been named in honor of George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States and former Yale Baseball Captain from the Class of 1948. This extravagant event brought over 600 alumni, friends and student-athletes to the Lanman Center, highlighted by the five honorees, Richard P. Cooley '44, Charles B. Johnson '54, Anne F. Keating '77, W. James McNerney '71, and Kurt L. Schmoke '71.

"Yale's proud legacy of leadership shines through with this class of honorees," said Yale's Director of Athletics Tom Beckett. In attendance along with the honorees were many University Officers, President Levin, 75 current student-athletes, more than tripling the count from two years ago.

The 2007 honorees all distinguished themselves on the fields and courts at Yale, and afterward, but in quite distinct ways. Cooley won varsity letters in football, squash and tennis before leaving Yale in 1943 to serve in World War II. He later went on to distinguish himself in the banking industry, rising to CEO of the San Francisco-based Wells Fargo Bank in 1978. After retiring in 1982, he was elected president, chairman, and CEO of Seafirst Bank in Seattle, a position he held until 1990. After his football playing days at Yale, Johnson went on to a successful career in the investment industry. He served as the CEO of Franklin resources from 1969 until 2003, and remains chairman of Franklin Resources and various Franklin Templeton funds.

Keating enjoyed a prolific athletic career, both at Yale and after graduation. She earned nine varsity letters in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, and was later a member of both the U.S. field hockey team and the U.S. lacrosse team. Keating went on to various banking positions, including banker at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co, and is currently the managing director and senior client partner at Korn/Ferry International.

McNerney, who played baseball and ice hockey at Yale, has enjoyed a prolific career after receiving his M.B.A. from Harvard in 1975. After working at Proctor & Gamble and General Electric he joined 3M, a global technology company as chairman of the board and CEO. In 2005 he joined the Boeing Company, the world largest manufacturer of commercial jet liners and military aircraft as Chairman of the Board, President and CEO. Schmoke, a lacrosse and football star at Yale has held many prominent positions in the field of law, politics and education. After working as assistant director of President Carter's White House domestic policy staff, he went on to serve as the State's Attorney in Baltimore before being elected mayor in 1987. Schmoke currently serves as the dean of the Howard University School of Law.

The final honoree of the night came as a surprise to the crowd, and even more surprised the honoree himself, Yale Director of Athletics, Tom Beckett. Beckett was given a George H.W. Bush Lifetime of Leadership Award from the Blue Leadership Ball Honors Committee to recognize him for his outstanding contributions and leadership for Yale Athletics over the last 13 years.

The evening is a special night for Yale alumni and friends to show their support for Yale Athletics, which was evident in the "Once in a Lifetime" auction that raised over $75,000. This is more than double what was raised two years ago, and will directly benefit all of Yale's 35 varsity programs. Some of the notable auction items were lunch with Yale's Chief Investment Officer David Swensen '76 MA '78 Phil in New York and New Haven, lunch with Boston Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino '71 Law along with 4 dugout seats at Fenway Park, a 5 night trip to Rome with stay at the Cavalieri Hilton, and tickets to the Wimbledon Finals in London, England. These amazing items along with dozens more created a huge buzz at the event - adding to the magnificent transformation of the Lanman Center.