LIU honors Wal-Mart's Coughlin for activism

Drug Store News, April 28, 2003 by Molly Prior

NEW YORK -- Long Island University and members of the retail industry gathered together at a fundraising dinner hosted in New York City April 15 to recognize Tom Coughlin, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores and Sam's Club USA.

The university honored Coughlin with the 2003 Ralph Jonas Philanthropic Award for Education in recognition of the retail executive's leadership role in supporting educational initiatives. The benefit dinner--co-chaired by Dan Wassong, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Del Laboratories, and Jack Kahl, president and chief executive officer of Jack Kahl Associates--raised more than $800,000 in scholarship assistance for the University's six area campuses and seven international sites.

Coughlin has overseen Wal-Mart's service initiatives in the communities in which it sets up shop, such as scholarships, job shadowing and vocational and career training for young people.

"Tom Coughlin richly deserves to receive this award," Dr. David Steinberg, president of Long Island University, told the gathering of retail industry executives. "His commitment to America's pluralism, his belief in access and his extraordinary support for Students in Free Enterprise link him to the best in American philanthropy."

Coughlin has a history of activism on behalf of education-related causes, serving on the boards of the California State Hayward Educational Foundation, Northwest Arkansas Community College Foundation and St. Edward's High School in Ohio. He is also chairman of Students in Free Enterprise. The philanthropic award presented to Coughlin is named after the University's first chairman of the board, Ralph Jonas.