A generous benefactor of educational institutions, Mr Khalaf Al Habtoor received an honorary doctorate on May 16 from the president of Illinois College, Axel D. Steuer, during the Al Habtoor Group's three-day visit to Illinois, USA. His visit to the United States, along with his support of the College, received extensive international media coverage.
The brief three-day visit included numerous activities. The Al Habtoor delegation spent the first day of the trip, Friday May 14th 2010, in Springfield, Illinois state's capital. Mr. Al Habtoor was received at Springfield airport by a delegation led by Congressman and long time friend Mr. Paul Findley, and including Mr Craig Findley, the Trustee of the Lincoln Land Community College, Mr. Andrew Findley and Illinois College Representative and Vice President for Advancement, Mr. Jason Scott Embry. First on Mr Al Habtoor's schedule was a meeting with Mayor Timothy J. Davlin, who expressed his delight to meet with the UAE businessman and thanked him for his generous gift to Illinois College. Mayor Davlin, Congressman Findley and Mr Al Habtoor exchanged their views on the benefits of the newly formed relationship between Illinois State and Mr Al Habtoor, and its positive effects on boosting the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.
Mr. Khalaf Al Habtoor and the delegation then moved to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which contains a series of presentations about Abraham Lincoln's life, his time at the White House and the American Civil War.
"I am very delighted that I visited Springfield, Illinois; it is very impressive with its Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and I aspire to do something similar to celebrate our history and our nation's fathers, in my home of the UAE" commented Mr. Al Habtoor.
On the second day of the trip, Saturday 15th of May, Mr Al Habtoor moved to Jacksonville to meet with Dr. Axel Steuer and Mrs. Lorelli Steuer, as well as the Board of Trustees of Illinois College, and to tour its campus. The premises are extremely large, with a variety of buildings that each contains many classrooms, advanced laboratories, sports facilities and more.
Lunch at the President's home was then followed by a comprehensive tour. President Steuer expressed his delight to finally meet Mr Al Habtoor in person, after many years of co-operation. They discussed their hopes for Illinois College and the importance of Mr Al Habtoor's gift to saving and restoring its Whipple Hall and the Khalaf Al Habtoor Leadership Center.
"It means a great deal to me that my name will be forever linked with that of Illinois College, and it is my hope that this centre, along with the lecture series, will inspire generations to come," Mr. Al Habtoor said.
A tree-planting ceremony in honor of Mr. Al Habtoor and the honorable Mr. Paul Findley took place in the presence of Jacksonville's Mayor Ron Tendick, members of the Board of Trustees and alumni members of Illinois College. Mr. Paul Findley and Professor Steuer afterwards vouched for Mr Al Habtoor to become an honorary member of the Phi Alpha Literary Society.
In appreciation, Mr. Al Habtoor said "I am deeply humbled to become a member of the Phi Alpha Literary Society; a group which counts Paul Findley among its members and very importantly, America's 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, who also was an alumni of Illinois College".
A Gala Dinner themed "Friendship and Appreciation" was held in honor of Mr. Paul Findley and Mr. Al Habtoor, and started with a recital to commemorate President Abraham Lincoln and ended with the Illinois College Alma Mater. Professor Steuer welcomed and thanked his two special guests, Mr. Findley and Mr. Al Habtoor, whose speeches were both received with standing ovations.
In the Graduation Ceremony, on the last day of the trip, Sunday May 16th, Mr. Al Habtoor announced his intention to sponsor an Annual Essay Contest for Illinois College students, this year's topic being "bridging the West and the Middle East" with awards of a year's tuition or a free trip to Dubai to be his guest, or cash prize for the top 3 winning essays. This generous support comes in addition to the 1.3 million US dollar donation to Illinois College that Mr. Al Habtoor has made for the centre that will bear his name.
The crowd, which included the Board of Trustees, alumni, students and parents and some of Illinois' most prominent figures, including Nihad Awad Executive Director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Mr Clarence Page, editor of the Chicago Tribune and Pulitzer Prize winner, welcomed and appreciated the new Al Habtoor initiative.
"I am very honoured to receive the Doctorate of Humane Letters from Illinois College" Mr Al Habtoor commented upon receiving the degree. "This motivates me to be even more committed to supporting education around the world, observing no boundaries of race, religion or ethnic background'.
Al Habtoor is a well-known humanitarian and champion of peace, and has received world recognition for his efforts, including in 2007 by members of the British Parliament, for his work in developing mutual understanding and cooperation between the Arab world and the West.
"I believe that education is the foundation for a better future — allowing the children of tomorrow to learn from mistakes made in the past and teaching them that we should not ever discriminate due to race, color or religion," Mr Al Habtoor said.
Well known for his support of education, Al Habtoor has contributed to various areas of education, such as donating the Medical Simulation Centre for the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research, his role as Academic Chair for the American Sharjah University and contributing a new Football and Track Stadium facility to the American University in Cairo, Egypt.
