Eisenhower Fellowships
2026 Annual Meeting
PHILADELPHIA | MAY 12-13, 2026
Eisenhower Fellowships welcomed more than 270 attendees from 30 countries to Philadelphia for two dazzling days of 2026 Annual Meeting events on May 12 and 13 to celebrate its Fellows and mark the 250th anniversary of the
founding of the United States.
2026 Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service
Celebrated filmmaker Ken Burns received Eisenhower Fellowships’ highest honor, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service, at the National Constitution Center. EF Chairman Dr. Robert M. Gates presented Burns the medal for his extraordinary contributions to public understanding of American history, culture and civic life through his epic documentary films on subjects ranging from the American Revolution, the Civil War and the Vietnam War to Baseball, Jazz, the Roosevelts and Benjamin Franklin.
2026 Distinguished Fellow Award
Dr. Robert M. Gates presented the 2026 Distinguished Fellow Award to world-renowned concert pianist Claire-Marie Le Guay of France. A Fellow in the 2015 Women’s Leadership Program, Le Guay was honored for her remarkable artistic achievements, her exceptional leadership in musical education and her exemplary engagement with EF.
Annual Awards Dinner
In addition to Dr. Robert M. Gates, Ken Burns and Claire-Marie Le Guay, featured speakers were Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker (a 2010 USA Fellow), EF President George de Lama, 2026 Global Fellow Jingal Dave, 2025 USA Fellow Kam Buckner and Trustee Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and past recipient of the Eisenhower Medal. Veteran broadcast journalist Ray Suarez was master of ceremonies.
Concert and Reception
Eisenhower Fellow Claire-Marie Le Guay performed a hauntingly beautiful solo piano concert for Fellows and friends of EF at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia on May 12, honoring the pivotal role of France in the birth of our nation.
Pin Ceremony
Eisenhower Fellowships hosted its traditional Pin Ceremony for the 2026 Global Fellows, 2025 USA Fellows and 2025 Global Scholars on May 13 at the Bellevue Hotel. The ceremony marked the official end of their fellowship programs and their lifelong immersion into the EF global network of leaders.
