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Jordan, Weissman to Receive Nul's Top Honor

The most converted honor that the National Urban League can bestow–its Equal Opportunity Day Award–will go this year to two distinguished individuals who have made major contributions to the guest for equal opportunity for all Americans, John E. Jacob, President of the NUL, announced today.

On November 17th, 1983, at its 27th Equal Opportunity Day Dinner in the ballroom of the New York Hilton, the NUL will present the awards to Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., former President of the NUL, and George Weissman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive officer of Philip Morris, Inc. John P. Opel, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, IBM, is EOD Dinner Chairman.

Mr. Jordan is being honored not only for the ten fruitful years that he served as President of the NUL, but also for his lifetime devotion to the cause of equal opportunity.

Shortly after his graduation from Howard University's School of Law in 1960, Mr. Jordan entered the civil rights arena as an attorney in private practice. He later became field director in Georgia for the NAACP, served as an attorney-consultant for the Office of Economic Opportunity, and then became director of the highly regarded Voter Education Project of the Southern Regional Council.

In 1970 he was named Executive Director of the United Negro College Fund and in 1971 National Urban League's Board of Trustees selected him to succeed in the late Whitney M. Young, Jr.

During Mr. Jordan's tenure at the NUL, he dramatically increased its budget, established a number of new affiliates, initiated a number of new programs, and became one of the nation's most respected and best known spokesman for civil and human rights. He resigned his NUL post in 1981 to enter the practice of law as a partner in the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, and Feld.

Mr. Weissman, as Chairman of Board and CEO of Philip Morris

[[image - the awards winners]]
The 1983 Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner of N.U.L.

[[image - logo of the National Urban League]]

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