Roy Michael Huffington, Ph.D., is nominated for the Judah P. Benjamin Award given by the United Daughters of the Confederacy®, which is awarded to individuals for outstanding endeavors in the fields of civic/community service, conservation, education, the environment, humanitarian efforts and patriotic service.

Former Ambassador Huffington is an internationally known for his numerous philanthropic endeavors during his lifetime. He and his late wife, Phyllis Gough Huffington, founded the Huffington Center on Aging at the Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center. In addition, he has endowed numerous professorships at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Harvard University.

He has been actively involved in many businesses, cultural, charitable, civic, medical and educational activities throughout the United States and other parts of the world. He is noted for not only giving monies but more importantly, giving his time in support of community, educational and cultural endeavors.

He has received numerous national and international awards including the Alumni Achievement Award from the Harvard Business School, the Distinguished Alumnus Award and a Doctorate of Humane Letters from SMU, was elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame, the American Petroleum Institute Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement and the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Jesse H. Jones and Mary Gibbs Jones International Citizen of the Year Award from the Houston World Affairs Council.

He is a patriot and was awarded the Bronze Star (with Combat Valor distinction) for his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served his country as the U.S. Ambassador to Austria (1990-1993).

Because of Ambassador Huffington’s long-term commitment to cultural, educational, humanitarian, patriotic and historical activities, including support of the Clayton Genealogical Library, I would like the honor to nominate him for this award. No one strikes me as more deserving and qualified the Roy Michael Huffington. I offer my endorsement of him for the Judah P. Benjamin Award.

NOTE: Mr. Huffington died on 11 July 2008 in Italy. He was buried in the Glenwood Cemetery in Houston, Texas, next to his beloved wife, Phyllis Gough Huffington.

The Judah P. Benjamin Award is presented to honor the Secretary of State of the Confederate States of America. It consists of a certificate awarded to individuals for outstanding endeavors and achievements not necessarily related to the Confederacy in the following fields: civic / community service, conservation, education, the environment, humanitarian efforts and patriotic service.

In 2001, the award was approved at the 108th Annual General Convention held in Columbia, SC. The first award was presented in 2002 at the 109th Annual Convention held in Richmond, VA by President General Mrs. Frank I. Silek to Dr. O. James Lightehizer, President of the Civil War Preservation Trust.