Excerpt from the Spring 2022 issue of The Extension
By Donna M. Schlagheck, WSURA Liaison for Community Affairs
Ambassador Tony P. Hall, native son of Dayton Mayor Dave Hall, was honored as the sixth recipient of the Dayton Peace Prize on May 7 at the Hope Hotel, Wright-Patterson AFB. The ceremony, hosted by the Dayton Council on World Affairs celebrating its 75th anniversary, took place in the exact location where the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords were negotiated by Richard Holbrooke and the leaders of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia.
Cheryl McHenry, longtime anchor of WHIO-TV news, led the evening’s ceremony, which included the presentation of two original works of sculpture and a video by local artist Michael Bashaw featuring local musical talent. The accolades for Ambassador Hall were many, including his lifelong work to end hunger, both at home and internationally. The opening of the local GEM City Market to address the fresh food desert in Dayton and Hall’s service to the United Nations World Food Program were recognized, as well as his multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. Letters from Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were exhibited during the ceremony.
Hall’s remarks reflected the humility and humor for which he is affectionately known. He shared two memories of his service as Ambassador. His first foray to Ethiopia after his 2002 appointment led to a fieldtrip in a contested region. His vehicle came under gunfire and his driver ran off, leaving the Ambassador and his interpreter to fend for themselves. Hall waited until the shooting stopped and then got behind the wheel and drove himself and the interpreter back to Addis Ababa. Returning to the US Embassy, he described a meal that might have fed a hundred people, all in the midst of war and famine—one of the many paradoxes that Hall said he encountered in the brutal place where violence and hunger collide. Hall also recalled meeting with Mother Teresa in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, where she worked to provide hospice care for the dying homeless on the city streets. Struck by the magnitude of the poverty and suffering, Hall later asked her where does one start to help? Her reply: “Start with the one in front of you.”
“I’m very humbled and grateful to be in this amazing company,” Hall said. “This honor is especially meaningful to me because it recognizes the contributions of my hometown, Dayton, Ohio. We’re not a big city, but we’ve made a big mark on the world,” he added.
Tony Hall’s long career in public service has made him a model of servant-leadership, and many family and former staffers were present when he received the Peace Prize. Former recipients include: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Colin Powell, George Soros, Bill Clinton, and Richard Holbrooke. Commenting on the continuing need for engagement to end hunger, Hall noted its inevitable link to violence, observing that the war in Ukraine and the food shortages it has produced are just the latest examples of the cycle of hunger and violence.
All the proceeds from the evening will be contributed to the Hall Hunger Initiative where Hall serves as executive director emeritus of the Alliance to End Hunger.
