OREANDA-NEWS. BNY Mellon was recently honored by International House New York with the Rockefeller Award for Distinguished Philanthropic Service. For more than 90 years, International House (I-House) has been a residence and program center for 700 graduate students and trainees representing more than 100 countries where individuals live in a values-based culture of empathy, respect and moral courage.

CEO Gerald Hassell accepted the award on behalf of the company, joining the ranks of past prestigious Rockefeller Award recipients including Shelby M.C. Davis, philanthropist and investment executive; the Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation; and the Ford Foundation.

“The mission of International House resonates more than ever in our current climate,” Hassell noted during the award ceremony. “This is a time of deepening divisions in too many parts of the world. International House’s work to promote cross-cultural understanding and foster harmony and respect between people of different cultures and backgrounds is desperately needed. International House is bringing people together. That is the best antidote for the global forces that want to pull us apart.

“I salute International House and its more than 60,000 alumni around the world. These remarkable individuals are making a difference everywhere – in the arts, in business, in civil society, the sciences, and many, many other fields.”

Kevin McCarthy, BNY Mellon’s General Counsel, has played a significant role on the I-House board since 2008.