Business leader and philanthropist Frank Lowy will receive the Henni Friedlander Award for the Common Good on Tuesday, October 2.
The Friedlander Award was created in 2005 in honor of Henni Friedlander, the mother of Bowdoin alumnus Martin Friedlander '71. The recipient of the award is chosen by a committee that includes the chair of the Board of Trustees and the dean of Students Affairs.
According to President Barry Mills, "Mr. Lowy is an individual who in his life has overcome overwhelming hardship and through brilliance, hard work, and determination, has become a remarkably successful business leader internationally and a world leader both publicly and privately."
Lowy, born and raised in poverty in Czechoslovakia, moved to Australia at a young age with little money. There, he co-founded the Westfield Group, now the world's largest listed retail property group.
He has also served on the boards of several major corporations.
Lowy has been a continuous supporter of the arts, sports, medical research, and education. He served as President of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and created a school for overseas students at Tel Aviv University.
Lowy also served as Chairman of the Football Federation of Australia, negotiating Australia's inclusion in the Asian Football Association.
In honor of his numerous achievements, Lowy received a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia, the country's highest civilian honor.
"In the spirit of our first recipient of the award last year, Professor Gunter Blobel, Frank Lowy comes to Bowdoin to tell his story," Mills said.
Lowy's speech is titled, "Changing Adversity into Success."
The event will be held in Kresge Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.