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Inauguration Ceremony for CHDS’s New Pasillo de los Próceres
On Friday, February 22, Director Richard D. Downie inaugurated the new Pasillo de los Próceres (Hall of Founders) at CHDS in Abraham Lincoln Hall. The Próceres project, which includes portraits of 42 individuals representing 35 countries in the Western Hemisphere, has been under way since December 2008, when CHDS first moved into Abraham Lincoln Hall. Click here to see Event Program
Many of the portraits are gifts bequeathed to CHDS from foreign delegations who have visited, including regional Defense Ministers and the local diplomatic corps. Additionally, several have been donated by CHDS alumni associations throughout the Hemisphere. CHDS has also compiled a program of brief descriptions of the Founders and their impact on the establishment of each nation. The collaborative effort through which the artwork and biographies were acquired from members of the wider CHDS community perfectly illustrates the spirit of partnership and collaboration that serves as the Center’s foundation.
With this new “place of remembrance,” CHDS seeks to recognize the extent to which the hard work of individuals continues to lay the foundation for great movements in history, whether they be for independence, democratic governance, or social equality. CHDS faculty, staff, current course students, and distinguished visitors came together to celebrate the new Hall and to hear remarks by Director Downie, Interim Senior Vice President of NDU, Stephen R. Pietropaoli, and U.S. Defense Department Principal Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Walter Earle.
Participants in the ribbon cutting ceremony from left to right are NDU Interim Senior Vice President Stephen R. Pietropaoli, CHDS Director Richard D. Downie, and U.S. Defense Department Principal Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs Walter Earle
