News Detail
Louis Bacon '74 Awarded the Foreign Policy Association Medal
At its annual dinner on May 21, the Foreign Policy Association presented three individuals, including Louis Bacon ’74, with the Foreign Policy Association Medal. The medal recognizes individuals who demonstrate responsible internationalism and who are working to expand knowledge of international affairs. Bacon, founder, chairman and CEO of Moore Capital Management, LP, is also the president of the Moore Charitable Foundation. MCF supports conservation nonprofits that protect threatened landscapes, habitats, and water bodies. The foundation also supports educational and community programs in specific geographic priority areas.
NBC Nightly News Anchor Tom Brokaw introduced Bacon and said, “There are two fundamental concepts we should keep in mind: to be proactive citizens in our own country, and to be global citizens. I can’t think of anyone of his generation who has that in his every waking moment than the man we are here to honor.”
Bacon expressed his gratitude for the medal and for the privilege of supporting great environmental causes, across North America and the world.
“In particular,” he said, “in the Bahamas we have supported conservation efforts to save threatened land and marine areas – a place I care deeply about, which has felt like my second home over the last 25 years, and one where a U.S. foreign policy on climate change could have a lasting impact.
“The Bahamian government has made great progress in conservation of their spectacular natural resources, committing to protect 20 percent of their coastal and marine habitats by the end of this decade. They are also working hard to update defenses against illegal fishing and poaching, and to strengthen the oversight of fisheries and aquaculture. Unfortunately, though, the Bahamas does not yet have a comprehensive environmental safety net, for instance, no Environmental Protection Act to ensure proper governance and regulation. We are supporting local efforts that are pushing the government to adopt one as a well as a Freedom of Information Act.
“Without such legislation, environmentalists are unable to hold accountable those responsible for the common occurrence of oil spills fouling waters and developers destroying the precious coral reefs.”
In addition to Bacon's many contributions to conservation efforts around the globe, he has also been a supporter of educational institutions, including Episcopal. In 1996, he established the Moore Charitable Foundation Scholarship at EHS which provides financial aid to female students of outstanding character from North Carolina. Most recently, he generously contributed the lead gift to the Stewart Gym Student Center project, slated to be completed in the fall of 2016.
Click here to view Bacon's acceptance of the 2015 FPA Medal.
Founded in 1918, the mission of the FPA is to serve as a catalyst for developing awareness, understanding, and informed opinion on U.S. foreign policy and global issues. This annual awards dinner presents an opportunity to honor individuals for their work in the foreign policy process and release findings from the FPA Task Force on Climate Change. The other honorees were Lee C. Bollinger, president of Columbia University, and Alan Gilbert, music director of the New York Philharmonic.
*Photo and video courtesy of the Foreign Policy Association.
