The Oxford Guild is delighted to be hosting Lynn Wyatt, international philanthropist and charity fundraiser on Monday 15th June (8th week) to speak about “Fun and Philanthropy – How Charity is a Life Well Spent”. We are excited to welcome Lynn to give us an account of a lifetime spent working for charities and the arts around the world and the impact that modern culture is having on the volunteer sector and the challenges charities face in the 21st century.
Lynn Wyatt is a world renowned philanthropist and benefactor who has worked and raised money for countless numbers of charities over the past five decades. Her charitable commitments include Houston Grand Opera (she chaired the Opera’s record-setting 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee Gala, which raised US$2.5 million and brought in internationally recognized stars including Roger Moore, Sarah, Duchess of York, Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel, Philip Glass and Elton John). A Special Advisor to Professor Luc Montagnier, Nobel laureate in Medicine and Physiology (2008) and President of the World Foundation for Medical Research and Prevention, Wyatt contributes to such charities, among others, as the Elton John AIDS Foundation, The Brilliant Lecture Series’ Youth Leadership Program, and Star of Hope Mission for the Homeless. In 2008, she was elected to the inaugural board of the Houston-based Medical Prevention and Research Institute. She has a personal interest in disease prevention, human health and wellness and integrative medicine.
To benefit the Red Cross and the American Hospital of Paris, she chaired the annual Bal de la Rose in Monaco, turning it into an entire weekend of festivities. Prince Rainier asked her to be a Founding Trustee of the Princess Grace Foundation U.S.A. (on which Board she continues to serve) and to chair the inaugural Gala in Washington, D.C., President Ronald Reagan and his wife. She was appointed to the Board of the U.S. Naval Academy by President Reagan, serving for eight years. An advisor for the Academy when it first considered accepting women, her duties included inspecting a number of the Navy’s ships. She helped raise funds for the Naval Academy.
In 1982 the Government of France honoured her with admission to the prestigious Order of Arts and Letters, rank of Chevalier, for her significant contribution to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance. In 2007, the French government promoted her to the Order’s rank of Officier. She received the Woodson Medal from the Houston Forum. Twice she was named Houston’s Most Fascinating by the Texas Medical Center Library. In May 1980 Texas Governor William P. Clements commissioned her as Ambassador of Goodwill for the state.
This is a unique opportunity to hear from an extremely high-profile figure who has a devoted her life to the charity sector and a multitude of causes around the world. It is not one to be missed for anyone with an interest in working in the volunteer sector, in the arts in particular, or even just has an interest in learning how to get involved in helping a charity!
ALL WELCOME! There will be an opportunity to ask questions and there will also be photos, drinks and nibbles after the event. DO NOT MISS OUT!
DATE: Monday 15th June 2015, (8th week) 7:00pm
VENUE: Danson Room, Trinity College
REGISTER your interest here: http://tinyurl.com/LynnWyatt
