DENNIS
A. TITO TO RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS AMERICANISM AWARD
FROM
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Exclusive visual presentation by Dennis Tito
Buzz Aldrin to serve as master of ceremony
LOS
ANGLELES, January 11, 2002 - The Western Los Angeles County Council
of the Boy Scouts of America will honor Dennis A. Tito, founder
and chief executive officer of Wilshire Associates and the first
individual to personally pay to travel in space, with its coveted
Americanism Award on February 21, 2002.
The award, presented annually to individuals
who personify the traditions of our country and the Boy Scouts
of America, will be presented to Tito at a dinner reception at
the St. Regis Hotel, Los Angeles, in recognition of his outstanding
career in science, finance and philanthropy as well as his courageous
space voyage.
"Growing up in Queens with Italian immigrant
parents who truly believed in the American dream, being a Boy
Scout was a great motivator for me; the experience taught me
that I could achieve anything if I set my mind to it. I
am truly honored by this special recognition," reflected Tito.
Focused
on his goal to participate in the U.S. space program, Tito earned
a B.S. in Astronautics and Aeronautics from NYU College of Engineering
and a M.S. from Rensselaer in Engineering Science. He
began his career as an aerospace engineer with NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory at the age of 23. Employing
the same methodology he used to determine a spacecraft's path,
Tito founded Wilshire Associates and is credited with helping
to develop the field of quantitative analytics that uses mathematical
tools to analyze market risks. Although thoroughly committed
to his investment management career, Tito never lost sight of
his desire to travel to space, a dream he fulfilled in April
2001.
John Creighton, Chairman of United Airlines
and dinner organizing committee member said, "We salute Dennis
Tito for his extraordinary bravery in becoming the world's first
paying space traveler, his outstanding accomplishments as a pioneer
in technology, and his life-long commitment to civic leadership. He
is truly an inspiration to all, both young and old."
The Americanism Award has a long history
of distinguished honorees including: former U.S. President Gerald
R. Ford, comedian Bob Hope, former Governor of California Pete
Wilson, and the late James "Jimmy" Doolittle, U.S. Air Force
General and World War II fighter pilot.
About
the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America was founded in
1910 and is the nation's foremost youth program. The
organization provides adventure and leadership skills to our
youth and services to the community. Spanning
90 years, the total membership to date is 104,003,921.
The Western Los Angeles County Council,
Boy Scouts of America was established in 1972 by the merger of
the Crescent Bay and San Fernando Valley Councils. The
Council has been recognized nationally for membership and program
growth by receiving the coveted Quality Council status for providing
quality programs to youth, balanced growth in Cub and Scout membership,
and sound fiscal management. In
2001, the Council led the Western Region in the area of growth
with a 4.2 percent increase in membership in Scouting programs.
About
Wilshire Associates
Wilshire Associates is a global leader
in providing investment management, investment consulting and
investment technology services to a wide variety of institutional
and high net worth investors. Wilshire
has provided asset management, consulting and portfolio analytics
to more than 400 institutional clients with assets of $1 trillion. It
has provided private equity services since 1984 and currently
manages $7 billion in equity, fixed income, and private market
funds.
16525 Sherman Way, C-8
Van Nuys, CA 91406
tel: (818) 785-8700
fax: (818) 901-4888
© 2005 Western Los Angeles
County Council, B.S.A. | 
