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October 27, 2008
Alumni awarded Emory Medals

By Kaitlyn Dennihy

The 2008 Emory Medalists include a groundbreaking surgeon whose dedication and devotion to medicine extends beyond the Emory campus and around the world, a rabbi who demonstrates the importance of impact in our community through leadership, and a businessman whose lifelong relationship with Oxford College will continue to leave a lasting impression on generations to come.

Awarded by the Emory Alumni Association, the Emory Medal is the highest award given exclusively to alumni. This year’s black-tie optional award ceremony was set for Oct. 23 at the Emory Conference Center Hotel.

Kamal Mansour ’68MR began his unwavering relationship with Emory when first named chief resident in cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University Hospital in 1966. An international pioneer in cardiothoracic surgery, Mansour has shared his passion for medicine with thousands of Emory students, faculty and patients as a chief resident, professor, and mentor over the last 35 years.

Around the globe, Mansour serves as an ambassador of Emory and American medicine. He frequently returns to his native country of Egypt to operate on patients in Egyptian teaching and university hospitals, and has been awarded the shield of medicine as one of the top 10 Egyptian doctors in the world. Most recently, Mansour and his wife Cleo established at Emory the Kamal Mansour Professorship in Thoracic Surgery in hopes of encouraging young surgeons interested in working in this field.

Alvin Sugarman ’60B–’88PhD is a sterling example of an alumnus who gives back to his alma mater every day. Sugarman first joined the Emory community earning a degree in business, and after a short career as an advertising and sales promotion manager from 1960–66, Sugarman joined the rabbinate in 1971 as an assistant rabbi at the Temple Hebrew Benevolent Congregation of Atlanta and became senior rabbi in 1974.

Sugarman devotes much of his career to the development of fundraising strategies for Jewish studies. Sugarman has served as a member of the Emory Board of Trustees and the Emory Board of Visitors. He also plays an active role in the Atlanta community as the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center Award for Community Service and The National Conference for Community and Justice Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hugh Tarbutton ’52Ox–’55B, who began his dedication to Emory at Oxford College, shares an unbreakable dedication to his alma mater. After graduating from the business school, Tarbutton has led a successful career in business. His high-level positions have included serving as the director of NationsBank of Georgia and president of Sandersville Railroad Company, a position he continues to hold.

Still, despite his busy lifestyle, Tarbutton has honored his alma mater in every way possible. Tarbutton joined the Oxford College Board of Counselors in 1984 and was awarded lifetime membership in 1999, and received the Oxford Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2001. Tarbutton is the founder of the Gena and Hugh Tarbutton Foundation, and his and his wife’s names grace the façade of Oxford’s fine arts building.

“In the cases of Kamal Mansour, Alvin Sugarman and Hugh Tarbutton, the Emory Medal can be considered a lifetime achievement award — except that our 2008 recipients continue achieving exceptional things. Their leadership in the Emory community continues to grow, and all of us can be thankful for their cherished contributions,” says Leslie Wingate, senior director for alumni programs. “On behalf of the entire division, the EAA is proud to congratulate our new Emory Medalists.”