FELIX ROHATYN HONORED BY NEW SCHOOL UNIVERSITY
AT LA GUARDIA AWARD BENEFIT EVENING

REBUILDING NYC IS THE DINNER'S THEME
PATAKI DELIVERS KEYNOTE WHITEHEAD, KOCH ATTEND

BOB KERREY ANNOUNCES FIVE $100,000 LA GUARDIA
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NEW YORK CITY STUDENTS

(New York, NY – January 31, 2002) New School University held its 2002 La Guardia Award Benefit evening last evening. Dedicated to the theme of rebuilding NYC, Felix Rohatyn, civic financier and former U.S. Ambassador to France, was presented with the 2002 Fiorello H. La Guardia Award.

On selecting Felix Rohatyn as the honoree for the evening, New School University President Bob Kerrey remarked, Felix was instrumental in rescuing New York City during the fiscal crisis of the 1970's, and he continues to contribute enormously to the vitality of the city. We are delighted to honor Felix for his years in public service and the diplomatic corps, and for his leadership in the financial sector.

Governor George Pataki gave the keynote address. Also attending the dinner at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers were John Whitehead, Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation (and former Chairman of Goldman Sachs), former Mayor Ed Koch, John L. Tishman, and many others committed to the future of NYC. The evening, which was attended by close to 600 guests, raised $1.3 million.

William Cunningham, Director of Communications for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, issued a Mayoral proclamation to Felix Rohatyn. Mr. Rohatyn was also honored in a video presentation, which included warm regards from Bernard L. Schwartz, Victor Gotbaum, Barbara Walters, and his family.

Mr. Kerrey surprised dinner guests when he announced the La Guardia Scholars Program. This year, New School University will award five $100,000 scholarships to New York City's top high school students. The scholarships will be open to all public, private and parochial high schools, and La Guardia Scholars will be able to study at any one of the University's undergraduate liberal arts colleges or professional schools without requiring any financial assistance.

In announcing these scholarships, Mr. Kerrey commented, These scholarships will enable five outstanding students from each of the five boroughs to get the best education that a New York City institution can offer. And, it is our hope that our La Guardia 2002 Scholars will use their New School University experience to give something back to our great city and personally contribute to its progress.

In addition to the La Guardia 2002 Scholars Program, proceeds from the dinner will also support programs of New School University's Milano Graduate School headed by Dean Edward J. Blakely. The Milano Graduate School, a key part of the Civic Alliance, has been organizing town hall meetings and public forums for experts to discuss their vision for rebuilding Lower Manhattan. Post-September 11th also plays a prominent role in the school's Political Economy and City course taught by Alice Rivlin and Tatiana Wah.

Benefit Chairmen included Pete Peterson, Chairman of The Blackstone Group; Brian Roberts, President of Comcast, Inc.; and John L. Tishman, Chairman of Tishman Realty and Construction and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New School University. Among the dinner's Co-Chairs are Maurice Greenberg of AIG and Sanford Weill of Citigroup.

The La Guardia Award is named after Fiorello H. La Guardia, who served as Mayor of New York City from 1934 - 1945, and is presented to individuals who exemplify compassion, courage and determination, and who contribute significantly to the character and culture of New York City. Past recipients of the Fiorello H. La Guardia Award have included Reuben and Arlene Mark, David Rockefeller, Henry Kravis, Arthur Levitt, Jr., Carl McCall, former Senator Patrick Moynihan, former Governor Mario Cuomo, and former Mayors David N. Dinkins, Edward I. Koch and Rudolph Giuliani.

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Felix Rohatyn served as the U.S. Ambassador to France under the Clinton Administration from 1997-2000. Prior to his appointment, he was Managing Director of the investment bank Lazard Freres and Company in New York, which he joined in 1948, becoming partner in 1961. From 1975 to 1993, he was Chairman of the Municipal Assistance Corporation (MAC) of the City of New York, where he managed negotiations that enabled New York City to pull itself out of its financial crisis in the late 1970's. He served as a member of the board of governors of the New York Stock Exchange from 1968 to 1972. He also served on the board of directors of several NYSE listed corporations. Mr. Rohatyn received his Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Middlebury College in Vermont in1949. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was Vice Chairman of Carnegie Hall and a member of many other non-profit organizations. He is a Commander in the French Legion of Honor. Mr. Rohatyn is married to Elizabeth Fly Rohatyn and has three children. Mrs. Rohatyn was President of the New York Public Library. She has one daughter.

New School University, with 7,000 matriculated students and 25,000 continuing education students, is comprised of seven academic divisions: The New School, the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science, Parsons School of Design, Eugene Lang College, Mannes College of Music, the Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy, and the Actors Studio Drama School, as well as the University's B.F.A. in Jazz and Contemporary Music. New School Online University offers one of the largest selections of online courses in the nation. For further information about admission to New School University, call 877-528-3321 or go to the Web site at www.newschool.edu