His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, To Designate University of Pittsburgh As Marshall Center of Excellence

PITTSBURGH—In recognition of the University of Pittsburgh's unparalleled record of achievement in the Marshall Scholarship Competition and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Marshall Scholarship Program, His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, The Duke of York will designate the University as a Marshall Center of Excellence during a presentation to Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg at a by-invitation-only luncheon Oct. 24 in the Pitt Alumni Hall's Connolly Ballroom.

"In designating the University as a Marshall Center of Excellence, the Duke of York has generously recognized our students' exceptional record of accomplishment in the Marshalls—a record unsurpassed by any public university in America. We are truly appreciative of this new designation—and look forward to even further advancing the tradition of educational excellence for which the Marshall Scholarship program stands," said Nordenberg. "The entire University of Pittsburgh community welcomes the Duke of York to our campus. We are deeply honored to have the opportunity to share with him, firsthand, our educational vision and our achievements—and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship program in his presence."

Up to 40 Marshall scholarships are awarded each year for two years of graduate study at any British university. In the very intense competition for the Marshall Scholarship, a University of Pittsburgh senior has been selected in each of the last four consecutive years, and in five of the last six years, a record unsurpassed by any public university in America.

The British Parliament created the Marshall Scholarship in honor of General Marshall as an enduring gesture of thanks from the people of Britain for assistance received from the United States after World War II. The scholarship is one of the most competitive and prestigious merit scholarships available to young Americans of exceptional academic and leadership ability to study at either graduate or, occasionally, the undergraduate level at a British university in any field of study. They are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and administered in the United Kingdom by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission.

In the United States, the Marshall scholarships are administered by the British Consulates-General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and in the Washington, D.C., district by the British Council. The University is a member of the New York region.

Also in Pittsburgh as the United Kingdom's special representative for international investment and trade, Prince Andrew will deliver the keynote address at the Transatlantic Business Conference No Barriers…Just Bridges, and to mark the 50th anniversary of the Marshall Scholarship Program, will attend a Saturday, Oct. 25, evening gala at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, where he will deliver the keynote address; the University is among the event's cosponsors. In addition, he will travel to Uniontown, the birthplace of General George C. Marshall, on Sunday, Oct. 26, to dedicate the George C. Marshall Memorial Plaza and meet with Marshall Scholarship alumni from Pitt and candidates from other colleges and universities in Western Pennsylvania.

Born on Feb. 19, 1960, and named Andrew Albert Christian Edward, Prince Andrew was the first child to be born to a reigning monarch in 103 years. He was known as Prince Andrew until his marriage, when he was created the Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh.

The Duke of York served in the Royal Navy for 22 years, specializing as a pilot. He received his training at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and concurrently took the Royal Marine Green Beret course at the Commando Training Centre, Lympstone, receiving the Green Beret one week before graduating from Dartmouth. He went on to elementary flying training with the Royal Air Force at Leeming, Yorkshire.

During his tour of duty, the Duke was stationed on the antisubmarine warfare carrier HMS Invincible and, as part of the Task Force, sailed to the South Atlantic to regain the Falkland Islands. He also sailed with the frigate HMS Brazen and the destroyer HMS Edinburgh and commanded the Minehunter HMS Cottesmore.

The Duke's commitment to children is apparent in his work as leader of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's campaign and his work with Business Dynamics, an education charity committed to improving high school students' business skills. In addition, he is patron of Round Square, a worldwide association of schools, and is a trustee of Lakefield College School in Canada.

Prince Andrew also is a patron of more than 100 diverse organizations, among them the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and the English National Ballet, as well as charities dedicated to helping the visually and hearing impaired.

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10/16/03/tmw

EDITORS: Prince Andrew's postluncheon remarks and his designation of the University of Pittsburgh as a Marshall Center of Excellence are open to media who are credentialed in advance. See attached sheet for media instructions. Media will be admitted to the Connolly Ballroom at 1:05 p.m. for the Duke of York's remarks and the University designation.

MEDIA GUIDELINES

FOR COVERING PRINCE ANDREW'S PITT APPEARANCE OCT. 24

• Alumni Hall opens to precredentialed media at 11 a.m. Oct. 24 through the

Lytton Avenue entrance only. (Media must apply for credentialing through

the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance; contact Pam Golden at 412-392-4555

extension 4528, or pgolden@regionalalliance.org).

• Credentials must be picked up Oct. 24 outside Room B-12, one floor below

the main level of Alumni Hall, according to the following schedule:

• Electronic media needing to set up equipment in the Connolly Ballroom

must pick up their credentials at Room B-12 between 11 and 11:15 a.m.

and must have their equipment in place in the Connolly Ballroom by

11:45 a.m.

• All other media must pick up their credentials at Room B-12 before

12:45 p.m.

• No media are allowed in the Connolly Ballroom between 11:45 a.m. and

1:05 p.m. Media may wait in the Room B-12 holding area until being admitted

to the Connolly Ballroom at 1:05 p.m. for the program.

• The program is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m.

• The Connolly Ballroom will be lit to broadcast quality standards.

• Media are restricted to photographing from the designated area provided in the

Connolly Ballroom during the program only. No still or video photography will

be allowed at any other time or in any other area.

• The program ends at approximately 1:30 p.m.