April 7, 2015

Finest Hour 123, Summer 2004

Page 24

By William C. Ives

Two Hundred Thirty-five Churchillians Turn Out to Honor a Hero and to Support the Educational Work of The Churchill Centre

General Tommy Franks, leader of the successful wars against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq, delivered a rousing speech emphasizing a Churchillian pride in country and steadfastness in the war on terrorism in Chicago on May 21st.

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The General received The Churchill Centre’s Liberty Award, presented for his leadership in concluding two major military operations with dispatch and minimum loss of life.

The dinner, at Chicago’s historic Drake Hotel, was attended by 235 people from around the continent: Texas, Arizona, California, North Carolina, New England, Ontario and the Midwest. David Michels, CEO of Hilton International, generously underwrote substantial costs at the Drake Hotel, which is run by Hilton International.

The purpose was twofold: to honor General Franks, and to produce the record-setting fund-raising event in Churchill Centre history, raising in excess of $225,000 in support of its worldwide educational programs.

The Churchill Centre is active educationally on all levels from high school to graduate, conducting scholarly symposia, student seminars, and learning activities on its website, winstonchurchill.org.

This event was also the first in a bold initiative to bring The Churchill Centre into the mainstream of serious debate on matters affecting the country and the world, interwoven, as only The Churchill Centre can, with Sir Winston Churchill’s thought, words and deeds.

That is what makes the Centre unique: many forums exist to discuss public affairs; only this one refracts them through the Churchill experience.

In keeping with this goal, the dinner was preceded by an intimate “leadership lunch” hosted by Ruth and Laurence Geller with General and Mrs. Franks and key business leaders. An in-depth discussion of current events was held.

Recognizing that Churchill was often the most controversial of figures, the Centre has always encouraged debate on current events against the backdrop of Churchill’s experience. We intentionally organize our programs to illuminate different viewpoints on issues of importance.

But collegiality among opponents was a Churchillian watchword. Churchill himself, once asked which American political party he favored, replied, “I refuse to choose as between Republicans and Democrats. I want the lot.”

Dinner chairman Laurence Geller echoed Churchill’s thoughts in describing this gathering as “ecumenical.” Present were both Illinois senators, Democrat Dick Durbin and Republican Peter Fitzgerald; Secretary Jack Kemp, former Republican nominee for Vice President; Chris Matthews of MSNBC, former aide to Democratic Speaker of the House Thomas P. O’Neill; and Sir Winston’s granddaughter Celia Sandys (“Conservative by birth, swing voter by practise”).

The parade of speakers (across the top of this page) caused one attendee to remark, “It was one superstar after another.” Each speaker frequently and respectfully invoked the name of Sir Winston.

“What did Winston Churchill constantly remind us?” General Franks asked his audience of supporters and young people. “He said, ‘Never give in.” He spoke of perseverance. That is what he teaches us today.”

Holding up his hand in the famous V-sign, Tommy Franks added: “This is not a peace symbol…it stands for Victory. As Churchill said, ‘Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.’”

Chicago was chosen not only because of its heartland location and the generosity of David Michels and the Drake Hotel. It is home to one of the Churchill Centre’s most active chapters, under Phil and Susan Larson; our chairman emeritus Ambassador Paul Robinson, U.S. envoy to Canada from 1981 to 1985; and our now-chairman of trustees Laurence Geller, who is also chairman of Chicago’s Strategic Hotel Capital Inc., which made all the arrangements. As a longtime Chicagoland resident and lawyer, I was particularly proud that the city framed such an inspiring event for so many luminaries.

Spearheading this highly successful benefit were Laurence Geller and Richard Langworth, who combined a broad knowledge of the Chicago business community with years of experience organizing Churchillian events. Frankly, the success of this dinner would have been impossible without the energetic and skillful planning and persistence of Laurence and Richard. I warmly thank them for their efforts, and all Churchillians should do likewise.

Many CC members contributed to this event by purchasing tables or tickets. Some who could not attend bought tickets anyway, asking us to give them to deserving young people. For this support we are sincerely thankful. Mary Ellen Viskocil of Strategic Hotel Capital and Andrea Graefen of The Churchill Centre worked long hours to make the event a financial success.

Others made calls and contacted friends and colleagues. Christian Pol-Roger and the Pol Roger U.S. distributors, Frederick Wildman Inc., donated an astonishing five cases of Champagne for the opening reception. Trustees Chris Matthews, Jack Kemp and Celia Sandys flew out, respectively to be master of ceremonies, introduce General Franks, and represent the Churchill family.

Never before had the Centre sought to raise funds on such a scale. And never before has the Centre so urgently needed those funds.

Sharply increased program activity, led this year by our involvement in the Churchill exhibit at the Library of Congress, and some unexpected shortfalls, left the Centre operating on razor-thin margins. Within the space of six months we will have produced the fourth Churchill Lecture, two Library of Congress symposia, three books, the annual symposium and dinner at the American Political Science Association, and continued support of of ICS (UK) in planning for the 21st International Churchill Conference. Each entails further demands on our tight resources. We have substantially tightened our controls on spending, even to the extent of delaying certain publications. There was little room for further reductions. That is why a successful fundraiser was so crucial and so welcome.

Nor was this the last Chicago will hear of Churchill, noted Phil and Sue Larson, heading the Winston S. Churchill Friends of Greater Chicago. On September 2nd at the Union League Club, where Churchill spoke in 1932, a dinner will be organized in tandem with the American Political Science Association convention. And in September 2006, the 23rd International Churchill Conference convenes at the selfsame Drake Hotel and Union League Club to celebrate Churchill’s many encounters with the “Land of Lincoln.”

This is perhaps, as Churchill said, the end of the beginning. If we energetically apply ourselves to the tasks ahead, The Churchill Centre will become what we all wish it to be: the focus of Churchill interest, study, and learning; the rallying point for Churchillians worldwide.

“We know that other hearts in millions and scores of millions beat with ours;
that other voices proclaim the cause for which we strive;
other strong hands wield the hammers and shape the weapons we need;
other clear and gleaming eyes are fixed in hard conviction
upon the tyrannies that must and shall be destroyed.”
—WINSTON S. CHURCHILL TO THE PILGRIM’S SOCIETY, LONDON
AT A LUNCHEON HONORING U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GREAT BRITAIN
GILBERT WINANT, 18 MARCH 1941