Press Release

The German Marshall Fund Receives Gift to Establish New Alexander Philon Fund for the Transatlantic Partnership

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is excited to announce its largest-to-date gift from an individual donor, which will further its research and convening on the Mediterranean region as well as its work cultivating the next generation of European leaders. 

The $1.5 million donation from prominent Greek philanthropist Phokion Potamianos will be used to create the Alexander Philon Fund for the Transatlantic Partnership – named in honor of the donor’s father, one of Greece’s outstanding modern diplomats, who served as Greece’s ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2002.

The gift will support two participants in GMF’s Marshall Memorial Fellowship (MMF) to be named the Alexander Philon Fellows.  Originally established in 1982 to introduce a new generation of Europeans to the United States, the Marshall Memorial Fellowship today prepares emerging leaders on both sides of the Atlantic for a principled and impactful career that will ensure that the transatlantic relationship, and the values for which it stands, can thrive for generations to come. Alumni of the MMF program include French president Emmanuel Macron, former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, and Fair Fight’s Stacey Abrams. We encourage prospective candidates for the Marshall Memorial Fellowship to apply at https://www.gmfus.org/transatlantic-leadership-initiatives/marshall-memorial-fellowship.

“We are extraordinarily grateful for the generosity of Phokion Potamianos, and we are proud to honor the achievements and legacy of Ambassador Alexander Philon, who has played such a strong role in advancing international cooperation throughout his career," said Karen Donfried, President of the German Marshall Fund. "As we prepare to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of GMF in 2022, this gift represents an investment not only in our institution, but also in a vibrant future for the transatlantic relationship.”

The donation will also be used to convoke an annual Alexander Philon Lecture and Conversation, to be convened as part of GMF’s longstanding Mediterranean Strategy Group meeting series. The program biannually brings together senior European and U.S. representatives from across disciplines for a highly interactive conversation on a wide spectrum of economic, foreign policy, and security issues related to the Mediterranean region. The inaugural Philon Lecture and Conversation will take place on May 25, 2021, with The Honorable R. Nicholas Burns, former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs and former United States ambassador to NATO and Greece, regarding the remarkable transformation in the relationship between the United States and Greece over the last decade. Information on the Philon Lecture and on other activities of the Mediterranean Strategy Group will be available at https://www.gmfus.org/forum/mediterranean-strategy-group.

Founded in 1972 through a gift from Germany as a tribute to the Marshall Plan, GMF works on issues critical to transatlantic interests in the 21st century, including the future of democracy, security and defense, geopolitics and the rise of China, and technology and innovation. By drawing on and fostering a community of people with diverse life experiences and political perspectives, GMF pursues its mission by driving the policy debate through cutting-edge analysis and convening, fortifying civil society, and cultivating the next generation of leaders on both sides of the Atlantic.

GMF is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in Berlin, Brussels, Ankara, Belgrade, Bucharest, Paris, and Warsaw.

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