2009 WEST POINT SYLVANUS THAYER AWARD

CITATION

H. ROSS PEROT
 
For more than fifty years Ross Perot has been an extraordinary supporter of our armed forces, our American values, and our Nation.  He has served his country from positions in the United States Navy, international business, public service, and private life.  Currently serving as Chairman Emeritus of Perot Systems Corporation, Ross Perot continues to contribute generously of his time, expertise, and resources in the service of our Nation.

Ross Perot’s lifetime of service to America has been multi-faceted.  In his home state of Texas, he led the Texans’ War on Drugs Committee in 1979 and the successful reform of the Texas public school system in 1984.  During the Viet Nam War, he spearheaded a campaign to end brutal treatment of U.S. prisoners of war in Southeast Asia, receiving the Medal for Distinguished Public Service.  A decade later, when two of his EDS employees were held captive in Iran, he organized and directed their successful rescue.  A presidential candidate in 1992 and 1996, Ross Perot became known as a champion of fiscal responsibility in government. 

Our Nation’s warriors and their families have often benefited from Ross Perot’s philanthropic support of those who defend our Nation.  Personally and through his family’s foundation, he has funded medical research and critical treatment for wounded warriors.  He has also funded education, capital projects at the U.S. Naval Academy, memorials for military heroes, the commissioning of several U.S. Navy vessels, the Disabled Veterans LIFE Memorial, museums honoring our military, and special events for our Nation’s combat veterans. A great friend of the U.S. Military Academy, Ross Perot has often spoken to Cadets on leadership and service and has made generous donations to West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center.

Among Ross Perot’s numerous honors are the Winston Churchill Award, Raoul Wallenberg Award, Jefferson Award for Public Service, Patrick Henry Award, Distinguished Business Leader Award, and Eisenhower Award.

Ross Perot’s lifetime of selfless service to our Nation, our warriors, and their families, has embodied and furthered the highest standards of “Duty, Honor, Country.”  Accordingly, the Association of Graduates takes great pride in presenting the West Point Sylvanus Thayer Award for 2009 to Ross Perot, a truly great American.
 

Theodore G. Stroup  ’62  
Chairman, West Point Association of Graduates