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Three additional GALA XVI honorees announced

Eartha Kitt, international star of theatre, film, television, cabaret, and music; Colleen Barrett, president and the first chief operating officer of -based Southwest Airlines; and Fredricka Whitfield, news anchor of CNN Saturday and CNN Sunday, join 13 other women who will be honored at Birmingham-Southern’s GALA XVI celebration May 1-2, 2003. The initial group of 13 GALA XVI honorees was announced in October. GALA is a biennial event that recognizes women of achieve- ment from around the world and showcases the talent of Birmingham- Southern students to support scholarships for the college’s Division of Barrett Fine and Performing Arts. Barrett is credited with much of Southwest Airline’s strong customer service record, including a No. 1 ranking in customer satisfaction among all major U.S. airlines for 11 consecutive years by the Department of Transportation. She was included among “America’s Most Powerful Business Women” by Fortune magazine in 2001. Kitt is one of only a handful of performers to be nominated for Tony, We hold these truths . . . Grammy, and Emmy awards. She received Tony nominations for her —A standing-room-only crowd gathered in the roles in the Broadway plays Mrs. Patterson, Timbuktu, and The Wild Party; college’s Norton Campus Center Bruno Great Grammy nominations for best-selling records Folk Tales of the Tribes of Hall in January to view one of 25 existing Africa and Back in Business; and an Emmy nomination for the TV show I copies of the original Declaration of Spy. Kitt Independence. The event at BSC was one of In addition to her anchor duties, Whitfield also reports on worldwide only two opportunities to view the document breaking news events as a CNN correspondent from the network’s away from the Birmingham Civil Rights headquarters in . She also has been a correspondent for NBC Institute, where the rare and historic document News and served as an Atlanta-based correspondent for NBC Nightly was on exhibit for 10 days. Printed on July 4, News and The Today Show. 1776, and owned by television producer Norman The GALA XVI honorees announced last October include: Lidia Lear, it is the only copy of the Declaration of Bastianich, Italian cooking TV series host, author, and restaurant entre- Independence that tours the country. preneur; Patricia Cornwell, international best-selling author; Arlene Dahl, film and Broadway star, author, and fashion entrepreneur; Marsha Johnson Evans, president and CEO of the American Red Cross; Jane Wheeler joins Friedman, president and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers; Phyllis George, former Miss America, Emmy-winning TV sportscaster, and Norton Board Whitfield author; Kathie Lee Gifford, star of television and film, recording artist, and best-selling author; Agnes Gund, president emerita of The Museum Harris Wheeler, of Modern Art in New York City; Jane Powell, star of film, Broadway, and television; president of Betty Rollin, Emmy-winning NBC News correspondent and best-selling author; Muriel Wheeler Siebert, president of the New York Stock Exchange brokerage firm Muriel Siebert & Co. Advertising Inc., has Inc.; Pat Summitt, head women’s basketball coach at the University of Tennessee; and Lt. joined Birmingham- Col. Marilyn Wills, award-winning Pentagon heroine of Sept. 11, 2001. Southern’s Edward The 16 honorees will arrive in Birmingham on Thursday, May 1, and visit the Lee Norton Board Wheeler Birmingham-Southern campus on Friday, May 2, to participate in student roundtable dis- of Advisors for Management and cussion groups, attend a Fine Arts Showcase highlighting the talents of BSC students, and Professional Education. be honored at the concluding GALA XVI Awards Presentation Luncheon. Established in 1974 to honor the memory Best-selling author Barbara Taylor Bradford and publisher, writer, and entrepreneur of the late businessman and Birmingham- Nancy Evans are co-chairs for GALA XVI. Bradford, who has authored 18 bestsellers, Southern alumnus, the Norton Board pro- was honored during GALA XII in 1995. Evans, co-founder of the Internet-based com- vides a forum for mixing the academic and pany iVillage.com: The Women’s Network, was honored during GALA XV in 2001. theoretical wisdom of the college with the For information on sponsorships or tickets to the May 1-2, 2003, events, please contact practical advice of the local business and Birmingham-Southern’s Office of Special Events at 205/226-4922. professional community.

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