ONLY IN AMERICA!

Yesterday afternoon, I had the genuine thrill of having lunch here in Arizona with the man who appears on the book cover you see above, Paul Oreffice. Imagine the following for just a moment.

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It is 1939 in Italy, and Mussolini wields his fascism with an iron fist. Paul has not seen his father in 12 days. He and his mother expect the worst and in fact, Paul's father was severely beaten by the fascist police and thrown into a small cell. For his family's sake, Paul's father manages--at great danger--to win the hearts of one of the jailers who places an anonymous phone call to his mother stating, "Your husband is alive". Click. Fast-forward a bit since this is a short Blog.

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Just 8 days before Italy enters World War II, Paul and his family managed a daring escape first to Switzerland, then America by way of Ecuador. He enrolled in Purdue University, despite the fact he knew less than 50 words of English! (This was the case with my own father when he stepped off the steamship that brought him from Bulgaria to New York!). Following graduation, Paul served in The Korean War for two years before joining Dow Chemical Company. With his seasoning after serving in a number of international and management posts, Paul worked his way up the company infrastructure to become CEO, President and Chairman of the board! He retired from Dow in 1992, and is today chairman of the National Parkinson Foundation, and chairman of Fairfield Homes. He is a visiting board member of MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a board member of Spirit Finance Corporation. Paul has also served on the boards of Coca-Cola, Morgan Stanley and Nortel. I can't tell you how wonderful it was for me to share and exchange life stories with such a compassionate and generous man! But here are a few reviews of his book, and I urge you to grab a copy!

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Willie Davis, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame says; "Paul Orrefice is the Vince Lombardi of the business world".

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The late President Gerald Ford said: "Only in America is the story of the Land of Opportunity---and of an immigrant boy who made the most of it. Paul Oreffice is an American original, and his account of his rise to the pinnacle of business leadership is filled with drama, inspiration, and wisdom".

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But I particularly enjoyed the review of this book from Dexter Baker, Former Chairman of the National Association of Manufacturers and Air Products and Chemicals: " Only in America is a must read for all immigrants who wish to succeed in this country. Paul Oreffice's journey from Venice, Italy to CEO of one of the world's greatest corporations is proof that an immigrant can make it to the top. If, like Oreffice, newcomers learn English, get a good education, set goals, and work with determination, they too will succeed. America loves winners, especially those who succeed the old-fashioned way by working harder and smarter than their competitors."

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With time so short before I board a jet plane for Florida, I wanted to share with you my personal Pride and Enthusiasm about not only my new friend Paul Oreffice, but the names of our Honorary Board of Governors because many are household names you will be familiar with. I am in wonderful company! Here's why I say this.

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NPF was fortunate to have the longtime service and dedication of the late Chairman of the Honorary Board of Governors, Bob Hope. For more than 45 years, Bob and Dolores Hope were involved with NPF, giving graciously of their time, talents, and resources for the benefit of Parkinsonians throughout the world. Because of their generosity, the Bob Hope Parkinson Research Institute was created, and the street on which NPF is headquartered is appropriately named "Bob Hope Road". The Foundation will remain forever grateful for the involvement and support of our great friend and benefactor. His legacy is carried on by his daughter, Linda Hope, who now serves as Vice-Chair of the NPF Honorary Board of Governors.

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The National Parkinson Foundation is truly fortunate to have the guidance of the following distinguished group of men and women. They have helped make NPF into the largest Parkinson foundation in the world. These persons compose the NPF Honorary Board of Governors:

Dick Clark, Chairman

Linda Hope, Vice Chair

Henny Backus*

Nathan Blaser*

Robert A.M. Coppenrath
former Vice-Chairman, AGFA Corp.

Phyllis Diller

Eric Emanuel*
Wall Street Financier

Betty Ford

President Gerald R. Ford*

Kenneth O. Gilmore*
former Editor-in-chief, Readers' Digest

David B. Golub
Managing Director, Centre Partners Mgt.

Bob Hope*

David Laventhol
Editor-at-Large, Times Mirror


Edwin A. Levy
Wall Street Financier

Dr. Sidney L. Olson*

Paul F. Oreffice
former Chairman, Dow Chemical Company

Sylvia A. Sack
Publisher

Professor Erich Segal
Author

Richard B. Stolley
Senior Editorial Advisor, Time, Inc.

Nicholas L. Teti
President, and CEO, INAMED Corporation

Martin Tuchman
Chairman and CEO, Interpool, Inc.

Norma G. Udall

U.S. Congressman Henry A. Waxman

Senator Paul D. Wellstone*

*Deceased
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See you tomorrow!