American Spirit Awards
The American Spirit Awards celebrates individuals and organizations whose work reflects the values and spirit of those who served our country during the World War II years. We honor those who inspire others through their own acts of courage, sacrifice, initiative, and generosity—particularly in the areas of leadership, service to country or community, and education.
Proceeds from the American Spirit Awards support educational programming at The National WWII Museum—including the ongoing development of classroom materials and professional-development opportunities for teachers in schools across the country, as well as online experiences that bring the Museum and its resources to students around the world.
Hancock Whitney, Presenting Sponsor
Hancock Whitney, Presenting Sponsor
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022
American Spirit Awards Reception
for Honorees, Sponsors, and Guests
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
Guests will experience a taste of New Orleans during this elegant jazz reception as we toast the 2022 American Spirit Award and Medallion recipients.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022
American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum
for Honorees, Students, Sponsors, and Guests
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Leading through example is a hallmark of the Museum’s honorees, and at the Luncheon and Leadership Forum, recipients will share their experiences with 51 student leaders from throughout the country, offering motivating advice to tomorrow’s leaders.
American Spirit Awards Gala
for Honorees, Sponsors, and Guests
7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Join us for an elegant black–tie gala for a night that will truly inspire. Following a three–course dinner, the Museum will present its highest honor to these deserving Americans who inspire greatness in all of us. The livestream presentation will be broadcast from the Museum on Friday, June 10, beginning at 7:30 p.m. (CT) with a pre-show countdown starting at 6:30 p.m. (CT).
For more information, contact us at fundraisingevents@nationalww2museum.org.

Can't Attend This Year's Event?
Make a donation in support of the American Spirit Awards Education Fund.
For your convenience, the Museum has reserved a room block at The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center for guests of the American Spirit Awards program. To book your room, simply follow these directions. A limited quantity of rooms is available at a discounted rate.

The American Spirit Award recognizes individuals who best exemplify the outstanding qualities of the American spirit, including teamwork, optimism, courage, and sacrifice, and who inspire the exploration and expression of these values through their own life and work.

Rick Atkinson
Image credit: Elliott O’Donovan
Rick Atkinson is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author who has inspired generations to understand the history and values of the American experience through his work as a reporter, foreign correspondent, and military historian. In his work, Atkinson has recounted some of the defining moments in our nation’s military history that have shaped and preserved our democracy. He is best known for his Liberation Trilogy—An Army at Dawn, The Day of Battle, and The Guns at Last—which depict the battles in North Africa, Italy, and Western Europe that contributed to the Allied victory in World War II. These seminal narrative histories of the liberation of Europe continue to influence our collective understanding of this monumental conflict, and his approach to portraying the soldiers who fought and the generals who led ensures future generations appreciate the human side of war.
Atkinson has served as an advisor to The National WWII Museum since the inception of its Presidential Counselors in 2006 and is a frequent presenter at the Museum’s International Conference on World War II. His devotion to scholarship as a premier military historian of his time inspires generations of Americans through the stories of WWII battles and the individuals who won the war that changed the world.

Norman C. Francis, JD
(US Army Veteran)
Dr. Norman C. Francis has dedicated his life to public service, civil rights advocacy, and the advancement of higher education. Francis served in the 3rd Armored Division in Germany in the late 1950s.
As the former head of Xavier University of Louisiana, America’s only historically Black and Catholic university, and the longest-seated president of any university in the United States, Francis has broadened opportunities for current and future generations of Americans. During his 46-year tenure, Xavier University of Louisiana awarded more doctoral pharmacy degrees to African Americans and sent more African American graduates to medical school than any other university in the nation. Beyond his work in higher education, Francis’s commitment to civic engagement and leadership has made New Orleans a more vibrant and resilient community. Among his many contributions to the city, he helped form Liberty Bank of New Orleans, one of the largest Black-owned banks in the country, and he served as Chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Francis has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush, the nation’s highest civilian award for distinguished Americans, and he has served in an advisory role to eight presidential administrations. A veteran of the US Army, Francis embodies a life of service to country, community, and the pursuit of higher education. Through his work and example, he has inspired an entire generation of changemakers.

Karen Guenther
Karen Guenther is Founder, President, and CEO of Semper Fi & America’s Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting the men and women of the US Armed Forces, veterans, and military families. As a registered nurse at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Guenther witnessed waves of injured servicemembers from Iraq and Afghanistan arriving with significant financial, emotional, and physical needs that loved ones were often unprepared to manage on their own. Inspired to help those who had sacrificed so much for our country, Guenther joined with other military spouses to found Semper Fi & America’s Fund to meet the needs in their community. From these humble beginnings in 2003, Guenther has grown Semper Fi & America’s Fund to a worldwide charitable organization that has distributed more than $260 million in grants to 27,000 servicemembers, veterans, and their military families.
Among her many honors, Guenther was appointed an Honorary Marine by the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Her trailblazing accomplishments are the epitome of the spirit of innovation and resourcefulness born out of World War II, and her commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy, and civic engagement reflects that same can-do attitude and sense of purpose embraced by all Americans during the war years. Guenther’s ongoing service to our nation’s armed forces and veterans truly exemplifies what it means to lead with the American Spirit.

Frederick “Fred” W. Smith
(US Marine Corps Veteran)
Born in 1944 in Marks, Mississippi, Frederick W. Smith, Yale College 1966, is the founder, executive chairman, and CEO of FedEx Corporation. The original analyses about the logistic needs of a highly automated future society were done during his tenure as an undergraduate.
After four years of service in the Marines, he launched the original air-ground Federal Express network, which began operations in 1973 to serve the rapidly growing high-tech, high-value-added sectors of the economy Smith had predicted. The company has since grown into a global enterprise that serves more than 220 countries and territories.
Smith has received several honorary degrees and civic, academic, and business awards. He is a member of the Aviation Hall of Fame and the Business Hall of Fame and served as co-chairman of the US World War II Memorial project and the campaign for the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Smith is a trustee for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a member of the Business Council and Business Roundtable. He served as chairman of the US-China Business Council and co-chair of the French-American Business Council. Smith has served on the boards of Malone and Hyde (AutoZone), First Tennessee, Holiday Inn, EW Scripps, General Mills, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the Mayo Foundation. He was formerly chairman of the Board of Governors for the International Air Transport Association and chaired the executive committee of the US Air Transport Association.

Navajo Code Talkers
The Navajo Code Talkers played an essential role in transmitting sensitive information on battlefields across the world, expediting the end of the World War II and, undoubtedly, saving the lives of many. During the war, the US military employed Native American code talkers in theaters around the world, and in the Pacific, the US Marines relied heavily upon members of the Navajo nation. Using their complex indigenous language, these US Marines developed a code used to transmit, receive, and decode covert communications faster and with more accuracy than any other form of military communication at the time. The hundreds of highly trained Code Talkers were present at some of the most pivotal battles in the Pacific war, including Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Pelelieu, and Iwo Jima. Given their critical position, they were frequent targets for enemy attack, yet they carried out their assignments with astounding efficiency and accuracy. Incredibly, their code remained unbroken through the end of the war.
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Courtesy National Archives, 127-MN-69889-B
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Courtesy of Marine Corps Archive from the Photograph Collection at the Marine Corps Archives and Special Collections
Despite their heroic contributions, the Navajo Code Talkers were forced to keep their wartime role a secret. Even when the program was declassified in 1968, national recognition of Code Talkers was slow. In 2001, the Navajo Code Talkers finally received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and annually on August 14, the nation celebrates Navajo Code Talkers Day. The tremendous bravery, skill, ingenuity, and determination of the Navajo Code Talkers reflects the best of the American Spirit. Their wartime contributions were crucial to the success of Allied campaigns in the Pacific and victory during World War II. Only four Navajo Code Talkers remain alive today, and it is an honor and a privilege for the Museum to bestow upon them our highest honor.
Thomas Begay
(US Marine Corps/Army Veteran)
Image credit: Richard Ricciardi
Born in a remote area south of Gallup, New Mexico, Thomas Begay enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was 16 years old. Begay was one of 33 Navajo Code Talkers assigned to the renowned 5th Marine Division Signal Company and in the Radio Section of the H&S Company, 27th Marines. Along with his fellow Code Talkers, Begay played an essential role in the Battle of Iwo Jima, sending and receiving more than 800 messages without error. Following World War II, Begay served in the US Army during the Korean War as a parachutist and gliderman and in combat with the 7th Infantry Division in North Korea. After his discharge from the Army in 1953, Begay began a career in the US Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs overseeing Navajo Nation tribal trust programs for more than three decades. Begay has received numerous distinctions for his leadership, service, and civic engagement.

John Kinsel Sr.
(US Marine Corps Veteran)
Image Credit: Michael Ruka, Winona State University - Navajo Oral History Project
Born on a Navajo reservation near Lukachukai, Arizona, John Kinsel Sr. joined the Marine Corps at 21. He was assigned to the 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division and saw combat in Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima, where he was wounded. Following the war, he returned home to his community and worked as an instructional aide at a school. A tough and driven man, he also built a log cabin home for himself and his family, which he continues to live in.

Peter MacDonald
(US Marine Corps Veteran)
Image credit: Peter MacDonald
Born in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, Peter MacDonald enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 15. After training alongside other Code Talkers at Camp Pendleton, he was assigned to the 6th Marine Division and served in the South Pacific and North China. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Corporal and returned home to graduate high school before pursuing his dream of obtaining a college education. This led to a highly successful career in engineering and business as well as numerous prominent distinctions for his professional and civic work. Among these, MacDonald served as the Chairman of the Navajo Nation and was re-elected to the office four times—unprecedented in Navajo history. He continues to lecture across the country and serves as President of the Navajo Code Talkers Association.

Samuel Sandoval
(US Marine Corps Veteran)
Photo courtesy Johnson County Community College
Born in Nageezi, New Mexico, Samuel Sandoval enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was 21, along with his brother who also became a Code Talker. Having attended a Methodist school for much of his life, he had been discouraged from speaking his native Navajo language; however, the language soon became critical to the Allied war effort. Sandoval served in the South Pacific, seeing combat in the campaigns on Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Guam, Peleliu, and Okinawa. Receiving a message from another Code Talker that the Japanese forces surrendered on August 14, 1945, was the most memorable moment of his service. Sandoval’s life story and role as a Code Talker are portrayed in the 2012 documentary Naz Bah Ei Bijei: The Heart of a Warrior.

Since its beginning as The National D-Day Museum, the Museum has bestowed this award upon individuals who demonstrate extraordinary dedication to the principles that strengthen America’s freedom and democracy. Through their work and philanthropy, American Spirit Medallion recipients exemplify the highest standards of integrity, discipline, and initiative while making unselfish contributions to their community, state, or nation.

2022 American Spirit Medallion Recipients
The Honorable Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson
The Honorable Jacquelyn “Jackie” Clarkson has dedicated her life to public service and the success of the city of New Orleans. She served in a variety of political offices for more than two decades, including as a New Orleans City Councilwoman and a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Among her many honors, Clarkson is a Trustee Emerita and Founders Society Member of The National WWII Museum. She was instrumental in securing the first state funding for the Museum, and her longtime support, particularly during the critical early years prior to its 2000 opening, made the vision for a museum dedicated to the American experience in World War II a reality.
As a district councilwoman, she represented New Orleans on both sides of the Mississippi River and was later elected to an at-large position. Clarkson is known for her commitment to public safety, historic preservation, and economic development, including cultivation and support for the city’s cultural economy and especially for the city’s children. Her passion for the New Orleans Recreation Department’s ballet program resulted in training for over 22,000 local children.
Clarkson’s longtime leadership has shaped New Orleans into the thriving city it is today, and her tireless dedication to advancing our community continues to inspire New Orleanians of all ages. Her commitment to public service and community engagement represent the unity of purpose and resilience embraced by all Americans during World War II. Having the love and devotion of her husband and raising a beautiful family are among her greatest achievements, says Clarkson.

Carol Rittner, RSM, PhD
Dr. Carol Rittner has dedicated her life to scholarship, activism, and her Christian faith. As the Distinguished Emerita Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Dr. Marsha Raticoff Grossman Professor of Holocaust Studies at Stockton University, Rittner’s research, teaching, and filmmaking about the Holocaust continue to advance a deeper understanding of the origins and response to this history. In addition to her scholarship, Rittner is a Catholic nun of more than six decades with the Religious Sisters of Mercy and thus brings a distinct perspective to Holocaust studies by examining the participation of Christians in the Holocaust and other genocides of the 20th century.
Among her many distinctions, Rittner is an Academy Award–nominated filmmaker, internationally renowned lecturer, and liaison to the United Nations who is active in numerous organizations working to prevent genocide. Rittner’s commitment to serving others and creating a better world reflects that same spirit that inspired an entire generation of Americans to dedicate themselves to the cause of Allied victory.

Charles C. Teamer Sr., PhD
(US Army Veteran)
Dr. Charles Teamer is a veteran and a distinguished business, civic, and education leader who has served the New Orleans community for more than 50 years. In addition to his many awards, recognitions, and honors, Teamer served as an exhibit advisor for The National WWII Museum’s special traveling exhibit, Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II, which has shared this important aspect of our wartime history with a national audience. Teamer’s dedication to strengthening his community through civic engagement, volunteerism, and education reflects these same values that helped the WWII generation secure victory.
His exemplary record of public service is demonstrated through his chairmanship of various organizations, including the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Greater New Orleans, Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans, The World Trade Center, and The Urban League New Orleans. He has been a board member for the Audubon Institute, Audubon Commission, Ochsner Medical Foundation, and Greater New Orleans, Inc., among others. He is the Co-Founder and former Chairman of Dryades Savings Bank, Board Member for First National Bank of Commerce, and most recently, a consultant for Hancock Whitney Bank.
Teamer is well known for work in higher education, ending a 40-year career at Dillard University. He was Vice President of Fiscal Affairs at both Dillard and Clark Atlanta University, his alma mater. Teamer consulted and advised the US Department of Education and served as a member of the Louisiana Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and Tulane University. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP and Past President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and former International President of Grand Sire Archon of Sigma Pi Phi, Inc., the two oldest fraternities for Black males.
He was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, by Clark Atlanta University.

The president of The National WWII Museum awards the Silver Service Medallion to veterans and those with a direct connection to World War II who have served our country with distinction and continue to lead by example.

2022 Silver Service Medallion Recipients
Louis “Lou” A. Conter
(US Navy, Lt. Commander, Ret.)
Image credit: Mass Communication Specialist Nardel Gervacio, US Navy
Louis “Lou” Conter is one of two remaining Pearl Harbor survivors from the battleship USS Arizona (BB 39). He celebrated his 100th birthday in 2021. Conter enlisted in the US Navy when he was 18 years old, prior to America’s entry into the war. He was assigned to Arizona in 1940 when she was docked at Long Beach, California, and accompanied her when the Pacific Fleet moved to Hawaii. In December 1941, Conter was the helmsman for transit of Arizona into and out of Pearl Harbor. Conter was on her deck when the Japanese attack began, and in the days that followed, he helped rescue crewmen and recover bodies. Arizona suffered the heaviest losses from the attack on Pearl Harbor—1,177 crewmembers lost their lives and only 335 members of the crew survived.
In 1942, Conter attended flight school, earning his wings and becoming a VP-11 Black Cat pilot in the Pacific Theater. After World War II, he served as an intelligence officer, flew combat missions in Korea, helped create the Navy’s first SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) program, and served as a military advisor to Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson. He retired from the military in December 1967 after 28 years of service. The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Gilday, wrote to Conter recently, noting, “Because of your role in rescuing downed aircrewmen…and the tough training you established in SERE, many men and women and subsequent generations owe their lives to you. I can think of no better reward for a life of service.” Conter continues to speak to schoolchildren and other groups about his experiences in World War II so they may understand the price of the freedoms they enjoy today.

Bradford “Brad” C. Freeman
(US Army Veteran)
Image credit: Jeff Rease
Bradford “Brad” Freeman is the last surviving member of the now-famous “Band of Brothers” of Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. After enlisting at 18 years old, Freeman volunteered to be a paratrooper and became a mortarman for Easy Company while the unit was stationed in Aldbourne, England. Freeman jumped in the D-Day Normandy invasion, fought in Operation Market-Garden, and then was a part of the defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded. He was able to rejoin his unit and participated in the occupations of Berchtesgaden and Austria.
Freeman returned home after the war, entered college using the GI Bill, and worked in the postal service for 30 years. He played an influential role in the making of the HBO series Band of Brothers, based on the book by Dr. Stephen E. Ambrose, founder of The National WWII Museum. Freeman has also participated in the Museum’s Educational Travel Program, providing a firsthand account of his wartime experiences so that future generations will understand the sacrifice and commitment needed to triumph in the war that changed the world.

Romay Davis
(US Army Veteran)
Romay Davis, age 102, is the oldest of six surviving members of the US Army 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The 6888th was the only all-Black Women Army Corps (WAC) unit deployed overseas during World War II. Following her five brothers, she enlisted in the Army in 1943, and after her discharge from military service, Davis had a successful 30-year career in fashion design, modeling, and real estate. Her commitment to hard work and a purpose-filled life led her to re-enter the workforce at the age of 80 at her local Winn-Dixie store, where she worked until the age of 101. She obtained her black belt in karate in her mid-70s.
Davis served in the trailblazing battalion of 855 women who faced a momentous and critical task to clear more than two years’ worth of backlogged mail in England and France. The 6888th’s mission began February 1945 in Birmingham, England, where they sorted nearly 18 million pieces of mail. The Army gave them six months, and they did it in only three months. They first removed duplicates from the seven million names in the Postal Directory. Working around the clock in three eight-hour shifts, they “broke all records,” according to Lt. Col. Anna W. Wilson, ETO WAC Staff Director. Davis and her 6888th Battalion colleagues sorted, repackaged, and redirected an average of 5.85 million pieces of correspondence per month. In comparison, another unit processed only 624,000 pieces in December 1944. The 6888th’s high productivity continued in Rouen and Paris, France. The unit returned to the states in March 1946 and was immediately deactivated. They got no accolades, parade, or Army unit award. By restoring the timely flow of mail between the front lines and the Home Front, PFC Davis and the women of the 6888th significantly raised the morale that sustained the troops through the final months of the war in Europe. Nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” the unique unit lived up to its motto “No mail, low morale.” The Army awarded the unit its Meritorious Unit Commendation in February 2019.

The 2022 Billy Michal Student Leadership Awards
The Billy Michal Student Leadership Award is presented annually to one student from each state and the District of Columbia who demonstrates the American spirit in his or her community. The values of leadership, teamwork, tolerance, creativity, and perseverance can and should be learned and lived by all Americans regardless of age.
When six-year-old Billy Michal from Zimmerman, Louisiana, helped his one-room school win a statewide scrap metal collection contest during World War II, he understood that every citizen—no matter how small—could contribute to our victory in the war. His example, and the actions of millions of other students on the Home Front, reminds us that service to country and community helps create active, engaged citizens. Through this award, the Museum promotes these values to students nationwide and honors those who exemplify them.
The Museum will honor students from throughout the country. Selected awardees and a parent or chaperone will join us in New Orleans to be recognized as part of the Museum's American Spirit Awards program on June 9–10, 2022.
2022 Billy Michal Student Leadership Award Recipients
Benjamin Arn | Madison, Alabama | Grade 11
Jaeoni Amaker| Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska | Grade 11
Ashley Nevison | Tempe, Arizona | Grade 9
Trinity Foster | Crossett, Arkansas | Grade 11
Alina Susu | Sacremento, California | Grade 12
Riley Cooper | Broomfield, Colorado | Grade 12
Mihika Joshi | South Windsor, Connecticut | Grade 8
Brett Cressman | Newark, Delaware | Grade 10
Alexis Buggam | Margate, Florida | Grade 11
Bryn Hammock | Buford, Georgia | Grade 12
Hannah Paulette Little | Meridian, Idaho | Grade 12
Ariella Poi | Glen Ellyn, Illinois | Grade 8
Isaac Rentschler | Columbia City, Indiana | Grade 11
Wren Menke | Burt, Iowa | Grade 12
William Hare | Mulvane, Kansas | Grade 12
Lavery Malena Hughes | Glasgow, Kentucky | Grade 12
Autumn Herring | Holden, Louisiana | Grade 11
Grace Davie | Sanford, Maine | Grade 12
Zoe Karyn Tobery | Frederick, Maryland | Grade 12
Monnavi Un | Lowell, Massachusetts | Grade 12
Aubrey MacIntosh | Pentwater, Michigan | Grade 12
Katherine Kregness | Eiden Prairie, Minnesota | Grade 12
Stanley Qu | Ridgeland, Mississippi | Grade 12
Samantha Doepker | Washington, Missouri | Grade 11
Elaine Marie Reed | Columbia Falls, Montana | Grade 11
Joslyn Stamp | Plattsmouth, Nebraska | Grade 8
Abigail Panariso | Las Vegas, Nevada | Grade 10
Olivia R. DeAngelis | Concord, New Hampshire | Grade 11
Milton Jamie Deputy II | Williamstown, New Jersey | Grade 12
Elliott Saiontz | Chappaqua, New York | Grade 10
James Williamson | Vass, North Carolina | Grade 8
Anna Elsen | Hecla, North Dakota | Grade 12
Katie Wells | Baltimore, Ohio | Grade 12
Elizabeth Cantrell | Wagoner, Oklahoma | Grade 12
Cole Carnes | Grants Pass, Oregon | Grade 10
Emily Truitt | New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Grade 10
Katherine Sweeney | Warwick, Rhode Island | Grade 11
Parker Bradford | Mount Pleasant, South Carolina | Grade 11
Joseph Van Overschelde | Mitchell, South Dakota | Grade 12
Sole Isaac | Memphis, Tennessee | Grade 11
Kate-Yeonjae Jeong | Houston, Texas | Grade 10
Anika Rao | Salt Lake City, Utah | Grade 11
Sydney Adreon | Vergennes, Vermont | Grade 11
Percell Jackson | Glen Allen, Virginia | Grade 12
Jean Lin | Camas, Washington | Grade 11
Jaelyn Jett | Orma, West Virginia | Grade 11
Ruby Homer-Wambeam | Laramie Wyoming | Grade 12
American Spirit Awards Sponsors are recognized on printed materials, including event invitation, event program, annual donor wall, Annual Report and on the event web page.
Sponsors must confirm a sponsorship by May 1 for inclusion in the program.
Interested in becoming a program or honoree sponsor for this year’s event? Contact us at 504–528–1944 x 221, or fundraisingevents@nationalww2museum.org.
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
$2,000 Two Star Individual Ticket
One ticket purchased for each of the following American Spirit Awards events:
- The American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Gala (Friday, June 10, 2022)
$1,000 One Star Individual Member*
One ticket purchased for each of the following American Spirit Awards events:
- The American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Gala (Friday, June 10, 2022)
*Active Museum Membership required
EVENT SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
$100,000 Silver Star Sponsors
- 20 tickets to The American Spirit Awards Gala (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- 10 tickets to each of the following American Spirit Awards events:
- The American Spirit Awards Reception (Thursday, June 9, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum (Friday, June 10, 2022)
$100,000 Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum Sponsor
- 20 tickets for each of the following American Spirit Awards events:
- The American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Gala (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- 10 tickets to The American Spirit Awards Reception (Thursday, June 9, 2022)
- Special opportunity for engagement with Billy Michal students during Billy Michal student reception, American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum, and student dinner. Includes recognition and speaking role during Billy Michal student reception and participation in awarding the Billy Michal Student Leader Medallions during the American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum.
PROGRAM AND HONOREE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
$50,000 American Spirit Award Honoree Sponsor
- 10 tickets purchased for each of the following American Spirit Awards events:
- The American Spirit Awards Reception (Thursday, June 9, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Gala (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- Photo opportunity with one American Spirit Award honoree.
$30,000 American Spirit Medallion Honoree Sponsor
- 10 tickets purchased for each of the following American Spirit Awards events:
- The American Spirit Awards Reception (Thursday, June 9, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Gala (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- Photo opportunity with an American Spirit Medallion honoree.
$30,000 Silver Service Medallion Honoree Sponsor
- 10 tickets purchased for each of the following American Spirit Awards events:
- The American Spirit Awards Reception (Thursday, June 9, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Gala (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- Photo opportunity with a Silver Service Medallion honoree.
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
$25,000 Four Star Normandy Academy Scholarship Sponsor
- Ten (10) tickets for each of the following American Spirit Awards events:
- The American Spirit Awards Reception (Thursday, June 9, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Gala (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- Sponsor package includes a paid scholarship for one student to attend the Museum’s 2023 Normandy Academy program.
Four Star Normandy Academy Scholarship Sponsor
$20,000 Three Star Student Leadership Academy Sponsor
- Ten (10) tickets for each of the following American Spirit Awards events:
- The American Spirit Awards Reception (Thursday, June 9, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Luncheon and Billy Michal Student Leadership Forum (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- The American Spirit Awards Gala (Friday, June 10, 2022)
- Sponsor package includes a paid scholarship for one student to attend the Museum’s 2023 Student Leadership Academy.
“World War II united the patriotism, resilience, and humanity at the very heart of our nation in a resolute fight against tyranny. The National WWII Museum in New Orleans stands as an international tribute to the character and sacrifice that saved the world and to the core values that carry on the unmatched American spirit."
John M. Hairston, President & CEO, Hancock Whitney
American Spirit Awards Presenting Sponsor
Patron Reception Sponsor
Richard C. Adkerson Family Foundation and Freeport-McMoRan Inc.
Silver Star Sponsor
Kevin Clifford and Michele Reynoir
Silver Service Medallion Program Sponsor
Madlyn and Paul Hilliard
American Spirit Medallion Program Sponsor
FedEx
American Spirit Award Honoree Sponsors
Ann and John E. Koerner III
Ochsner Health
Stephen G. and Regina Oswald Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Smith
American Spirit Awards Luncheon Sponsor
Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation
American Spirit Medallion Honoree Sponsor
Precision Contracting Services, Inc.
Robert V. Siebel
Four Star Normandy Academy Sponsors
Airbus
Carmen and James Courter
Mary and Peter Foss
Lockton Companies
Suzanne T. Mestayer + Thirty North
Moccasin Lake Foundation
Jane and Ron Olson
Patrick F. Taylor Foundation
Jennifer and Ted Weggeland
Three Star Student Leadership Academy Sponsors
Sonia A. Pérez and AT&T
Canal Barge Company, Inc.
Andrea D. Heebe and Elizabeth Heebe Russo
Latter & Blum, Inc.
Liskow and Lewis
Mary and Robert E. Smith Lupo
Priddy Family Foundation
Kathy and Joe Sanderson
Jennifer and Phil Satre
The Honorable Christine Whitman
Winn-Dixie
In Recognition of Our Women Honorees
Suzanne T. Mestayer + Thirty North, Co-Chair
Jane T. Olson, Co-Chair
The Honorable Christine Whitman
Sonia A. Pérez and AT&T
Winn-Dixie/Southern Grocers
Caren Rubin
Pam Rubin
Dorothy Clyne
Saul and Joyce Brandman Foundation
Michael and Patricia Welborn
Jessica Brandt
Susan Hess
Michelle Rubin
David Nierenberg
Jacob Nierenberg
Sharon Estill Taylor
In-Kind Sponsors
Freeport McMoRan
Hancock Whitney
William A. Goldring
To Our Generous Sponsors:
Updates to the list of ASA sponsorships will be made to this site regularly. Thank you for supporting our efforts to honor these great Americans, and for helping us to recognize our student leaders from throughout the country.