Student winners of the 2024 James A. Perkins Prize for Interracial and Intercultural Peace and Harmony stand with Cornell leadership and Cornell Trustee Emeritus Thomas W. Jones ’69, MRP ’72, standing, on the left, who endowed the Perkins Prize in 1994.
The James A. Perkins Prize for Interracial & Intercultural Peace & Harmony
Trustee Thomas W. Jones '69 has chosen to endow The James A. Perkins Prize for Interracial and Intercultural Peace and Harmony for the recognition of the Cornell student, faculty, staff member, or program making the most significant contribution to furthering the ideal of university community while respecting the values of racial diversity.
This $5,000 prize is awarded at a special ceremony each spring. Other individuals devoted to advancing University community through intercultural understanding and harmony will also be honored. The Perkins Prize will be awarded with the understanding that the money will be used to further projects which promote intercultural understanding and harmony at Cornell University.
In order to complete the application you will need to fill out a nomination form and upload a letter of nomination describing how the nominee fits into the criteria below. Nominees will be reviewed based on exhibiting the following criteria over the last 12 months.
Please include concrete examples and data for each criteria:
The number and diverse identities of students participating in a sustained level of involvement, which leads to a set of accomplishments.
The extent to which these accomplishments promote common values and shared community standards among diverse students.
The extent to which these accomplishments enhance the abilities of students to work with, live with, and learn from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, beliefs, identities and cultural perspectives.
How to Apply
Nominations will be accepted Feb 17, 2025 - March 17, 2025.
In order to complete the application you will need to fill out a nomination form and upload a letter of nomination (400-500 words) describing how the nominee fits into the criteria.
Applicants are welcome to self-nominate. Applications may be strengthened with multiple nominations and letters from different nominators.
You must also submit a photo of the program, organization or event.
Thomas Wade Jones came to Cornell University in 1965, at a time when the university, under the leadership of President James A. Perkins, was undertaking a successful effort to increase the enrollment of black students. Mr. Jones was elected freshman class president, was a member of the student judicial board, and was a student-government activist before becoming involved in the controversial takeover of Willard Straight Hall in 1969. Though personally conflicted about the decision to occupy the student union, he believed in the importance of solidarity and became the spokesman for the takeover group, addressing an audience of thousands at Barton Hall two days after the peaceful resolution of the takeover.
Mr. Jones remained at Cornell for the completion of his bachelor’s degree in government in 1969 and his master’s degree in regional planning in 1972. While most of the students who led the Willard Straight confrontation left Cornell shortly thereafter, Mr. Jones continued studying for his master’s degree and worked to make the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell a reality. He led the efforts to write the proposal for the program and was one of the first students to approach Professor James E. Turner about becoming the center’s first director.
Mr. Jones is founder and principal of TWJ Capital LLC, a private equity investment firm located in Stamford, Connecticut. Mr. Jones was chairman and chief executive officer of Global Investment Management at Citigroup from 1999 to 2004, and also served as chairman and chief executive officer of Citigroup Asset Management. Mr. Jones joined Travelers Group as vice chairman and director in 1997 and served as chairman and chief executive officer of Salomon Smith Barney Asset Management. Prior to joining Travelers Group, Mr. Jones was vice chairman and director of TIAA-CREF from 1989 to 1995 and president and chief operating officer from 1993-1997. From 1989-1993 he served as executive vice president of finance and planning and chief financial officer of TIAA-CREF.
From 1982-1989 Mr. Jones was senior vice president and treasurer of the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company in Boston. He spent the previous eleven years in public accounting and management consulting, primarily with Arthur Young & Company in Boston. During this time, Mr. Jones became a certified public accountant and earned an MBA from Boston University.
Former Winners
The James A. Perkins Prize for Interracial & Intercultural Peace & Harmony
2024 The Invincible Iota Chapter of Sigma Lambda Upsilon/ Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc
2023 Translator-Interpreter Program
2021 Cornell Students 4 Black Lives (C4BL)
2019 Community Learning and Service Partnership (CLASP)
2018 South Asian Council
2017 Breaking Bread
2016 Mixed at Cornell
2015 Dining with Diverse Minds
2014 Intergroup Dialogue Project
2013 Cornell Bridges to Community
2012 Cornell DREAM Team: Cornell Dreaming
2011 Committee for the Advancement of Muslim Culture
