Five distinguished alumni honored this spring with Arents Awards

Five distinguished alumni honored this spring with Arents AwardsMay 24, 2002Mark Owczarskimaowczar@syr.edu

Five distinguished Syracuse University alumni will be honored this spring with the 2002 George Arents Pioneer Medal for outstanding accomplishments. The award is the highest alumni honor the University bestows.

Four medals will be presented in Syracuse during Reunion Weekend at the annual Arents Award Dinner on June 1.

Those recipients include Roger S. Berkowitz ’74 of Newton, Mass., co-owner and chief executive officer of Legal Sea Foods Inc. in Boston; Walter H. Diamond ’34 of Hartsdale, N.Y., international tax and trade authority; Warren Kimble ’57 of Brandon, Vt., America’s best known living folk artist; and Roberta C. “Bobbie” Schofield ’57, G’77, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., retired executive director of professional services for the Syracuse Area Salvation Army and longtime advocate of the human service profession in Central New York.

The fifth Arents Medal was presented to Marilyn Smith Swift Tennity ’42 of Palm Springs, Calif., in a ceremony in Palm Springs April 15.

The Arents Awards Dinner is the capstone event of Reunion Weekend, to be held May 31 to June 2. The dinner will be held Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. at the OnCenter in downtown Syracuse. Reservations are required; contact the Office of Alumni Relations for further information.

Roger S. Berkowitz ’74

George Arents Pioneer Medal for excellence in the field of food service management

Originally founded as a grocery store owned by Berkowitz’s grandfather, in 1904, and succeeded as a fish market in 1950 by Berkowitz’s father, George, Legal Sea Foods Inc. has become nationally known for its tradition of serving the finest seafood anywhere in the country. Today, the company includes 26 restaurants in seven states, a mail order company serving 50 states, a supermarket food division and a catering company.

An eloquent spokesperson for the restaurant and food services industry, Berkowitz has been a guest columnist for several periodicals and makes frequent guest appearances on television shows including NBC’s “Today,” CBS’s “This Morning,” ABC’s “Good Morning America,” “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee” and CNN news programs.

A loyal alumnus, Berkowitz played a key role during the creation of the restaurant and food service management program in the former College for Human Development. He has hosted several University events at Legal Sea Foods, chaired the 1995-96 Society of Fellows renewal campaign, and was an alumni member of the Athletic Policy Board from 1987 to 1989.

Berkowitz serves on the board of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the Boston Children’s Hospital, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, Century Bank, the New England Aquarium, the New Bedford Oceanarium, and the Boston History Collaborative. He is a past chair of the advisory board at the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and was appointed a White House delegate for the travel and tourism industry.

Berkowitz has received many of the prestigious awards given by the restaurant industry, including the 1999 Silver Plate Award, the 1998 Golden Chain Award. He also the recipient of the 1994 Restaurateur of the Year and the 1993 Entrepreneur of the Year Award given by the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts.

He received honorary degrees from Johnson & Wales University and the Culinary Institute of America. He earned advanced certificates from the Harvard Business School and the University of London, School of Business. He holds a bachelor’s degree in television-radio-film from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Berkowitz and his wife, Lynne, live in Newton, Mass. Lynne Berkowitz has worked as a training specialist for the visually impaired in the Cambridge school system. The couple has three children, Matthew, Scott and Jaclyn.

Walter H. Diamond ’34

George Arents Pioneer Medal for excellence in the field of international taxation

An internationally recognized expert in international taxation and offshore industry, and a former United Nations and U.S./AID advisor, Diamond has helped dozens of nations establish foreign investment centers, export credit insurance systems, tax treaty networks, free trade zones, export development corporations and tax and investment incentive programs to lure foreign capital for industrialization.

In addition, as foreign analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, director of international taxes for Deloitte Touche, manager of international taxes for KPMF Peat Marwick, and principal in the accounting firm of O’Connor Davies Mumms and Dobbins, Diamond helped hundreds of multinational and smaller-sized companies in their offshore planning endeavors. He also played a key role in the creation of the Offshore Institute in the late 1980s.

A World War II veteran, Diamond was appointed a member of the French Trade Mission during the Eisenhower administration to oversee investment and tax issues. He received a citation from the chief executive of Honduras for his help in negotiating the only Income Tax Treaty the United States had with a Latin American country for many years. Over the years, he’s provided assistance on dozens of international business development and trade programs for such countries as Egypt, Iran, Ireland, Malta and Taiwan, and has been cited for his contributions in helping Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Lithuania, Puerto Rico and Yugoslavia.

A former director of economics of McGraw-Hill International Corp. and editor of McGraw Hill American Letter, Diamond has prepared a monthly international credit column for the Financial Times of London for more than 20 years. He also serves as a contributing editor for Europe’s Offshore Investment magazine. As editor and economist of his own firm, Overseas Press and Consultants, Diamond has prepared a monthly newsletter for banks, trade associations and universities, International Trade Highlights, since 1952.

Diamond currently serves as an investment advisor to foreign governments and a consultant to several international trade associations and banks. He is a frequent panelist and speaker at foreign tax and trade conferences. He and his wife of 55 years, Dorothy, are co-authors of 80 serviced tax and investment books published by five law publishers. Dorothy Diamond is a former syndicated columnist and editor of Tide Magazine and Printers Ink. Her advocacy for women’s recognition in advertising earned her the honor of being the only woman chosen for Vance Packard’s landmark book, “Hidden Persuaders.”

In 2000, Diamond and his wife were appointed professors of law at the St. Thomas University College of Law and subsequently awarded honorary doctorate of law degrees at St. Thomas. That same year, he was elected to the board of directors of the First Colorado Depository Corporation (FCDC), the first United States banking institution to exempt non-residents from certain state incomes taxes as a way to attract funds from abroad to help reduce the massive current accounts deficit.

In recognition of their efforts to help developing countries and for their vast literary achievements, FCDC named the “Diamond Conference Room” in the couple’s honor, the Offshore Institute established an annual “Diamond Writing Award,” and St. Thomas University College of Law renamed its international Internet tax program to the Diamond International Tax Program.

Warren Kimble ’57

George Arents Pioneer Medal for excellence in the field of art

Kimble is one of America’s most popular folk artists. He is a leader of today’s Americana style of painting, with its roots in primitive folk art. Kimble’s success can be found in simple and honest themes that resonate with today’s collectors and people interested in home decor with an American country theme. His paintings of rural Vermont scenes and unique animals have become familiar around the world.

After graduating in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, Kimble worked in advertising, but was drawn into the field of education first as a public school arts teacher and later as a professor of art at Castleton State College in Vermont. Though teaching was his vocation, he pursued his avocations of painting in the American folk art style, and antiques.

A 1990 gallery exhibit of his paintings drew the interest of print publisher Wild Apple Graphics Ltd. Both Kimble and Wild Apple enjoyed tremendous success and continue to do so, selling more than three million prints to date. This initial licensing relationship eventually led to his great outreach and appeal resulting in licensing agreements with over 45 home decor manufacturers.

Long time residents of Vermont, Kimble and his wife, Lorraine, are very involved in the civic activities of their small town of Brandon. In addition to working full time in their business, the Kimbles also enjoy traveling, antiquing, and spending time with their two children and five grandchildren.

Roberta “Bobbie” C. Schofield ’57 G’77

George Arents Pioneer Medal for excellence in the field of human services

Schofield’s contributions to Central New York, made through her professional career and volunteerism, have spanned 44 years.

She served The Salvation Army in Syracuse from 1974 until her retirement earlier this year. As executive director of professional services, Schofield reached the highest position possible for a lay professional within The Salvation Army. During her tenure, she transformed an organization with 35 employees servicing 10 community programs with a $600,000 budget to an organization with 350 employees in 17 locations overseeing 44 community programs with a $14 million annual budget. Today, The Salvation Army is one of the largest nonprofit service providers in upstate New York.

In 1986, Schofield headed the $3.5 million “Building Help” capital campaign to expand the facilities of the Salvation Army’s Syracuse headquarters. In 1992, through the $1.8 million “Metamorphosis” capital campaign, she was instrumental in the purchase, renovation and remodeling of the former Metro Hotel into a 26-unit transitional apartment and parenting center for pregnant and parenting teens and their children. In 1993, the purchase and development of “Cab Horse Commons” added 66,000 square feet of space for human services programs to the community.

Schofield has played an important role in developing new programs for the community, including the “Nursing Homes Without Walls Initiative,” the first program in New York state to get funding for the frail elderly to receive community-based care rather than hospital based care. She also championed Booth House, the first New York state-funded crisis shelter for runaway teens, and organized “Dome Day,” an event that rallies SU football fans and members of the Syracuse University community to assist the Salvation Army in the collection of food donations for the holiday season. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Dome Day.

Under her direction, more than 20 Syracuse University students receive valuable hands-on experience at the Salvation Army each semester. She also encouraged and supported the continuing education of The Salvation Army’s staff through special programs that enable them to earn degrees while working full time.

Schofield has been honored by numerous community organizations, including the Syracuse Newspapers, The New York State Senate, Girls Inc. and SU’s College of Human Services and Health Professions. She also received The Salvation Army National Commander’s Award for Excellence.

She received her bachelor’s degree from the College for Human Development, her master’s degree from the School of Social Work, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Maxwell School..

Marilyn Smith Swift Tennity’42

George Arents Pioneer Medal for excellence in the field of philanthropy

Tennity has fond memories of her experiences at Syracuse University and of the lifelong friendships she made while a student. While at Syracuse, Tennity studied psychology and was active in the Sociology Club, the Red Cross and her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. At Syracuse, she met her first husband, the late Charles Swift ’42. The couple raised four children, moving to the Los Angeles area during the 1950s.

After her first husband died, Tennity married William Tennity, a Rochester-area native, Rochester Institute of Technology graduate and retired mechanical engineer.

The Tennitys have played a key role in enhancing both the academic and social environments of Syracuse University. She has been a strong advocate of The College of Arts and Sciences. In 1999, the Tennitys gave the naming gift for the Marilyn and Bill Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion. The facility, which houses an 85-foot by 300-foot rink that can be used in its entirety or separated into two sections, opened to students in 2000. The pavilion also features a 500-seat heated bleacher area, three locker rooms, an ice skate rental area, a refreshment area and administrative offices.

Active in the cultural, social and philanthropic circles of Palm Springs, Tennity is a trustee and member of the executive committee of the Bob Hope Cultural Center/The McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts. The Tennitys have also supported the Living Desert, a wildlife preserve near their home. She also serves on the auxiliary of the Eisenhower Medical Center.