J. W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr. to be Honored by Cornell

Mr.  J. W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, Inc., will receive the first Icon of the Industry Award from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration at a ceremony at the Marriott Marquis in New York City on Tuesday, June 2, 2009.

Marriott will be honored for his lifelong leadership in the hospitality industry and for his extraordinary civic and philanthropic contributions.

“Bill Marriott has led an exemplary life founded on service to others,” said Michael Johnson, the school's dean and E. M. Statler Professor of Hotel Administration. “We look forward to recognizing him for his remarkable personal and professional achievements.”

Under Marriott's lead, Marriott International has grown from a family restaurant business to a global lodging company with more than 3,100 properties in 66 countries and territories.

Mr. Marriott has also worked to compile a family of 18 lodging brands that range from limited service to full service luxury hotels. The company manages and franchises hotels and resorts under the Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Bvlgari, Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, and Fairfield Inn brand names.

It also operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Ritz-Carlton Club, and Grand Residences by Marriott brands.

The company also operates Marriott Executive Apartments, provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division, operates conference centers, and manages golf courses.

Mr. Marriott serves on the board of the J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation. He is a member of the National Business Council and the Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council. He also serves as the chairman of the Mayo Clinic Capital Campaign. Mr. Marriott recently served on the Board of Trustees of the National Geographic Society, as director of the United States Naval Academy Foundation, chairman of the President's Export Council and member of the Secure Borders Open Doors Advisory Committee and the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

Marriott has also been a leader in higher education in hospitality, as seen in his generous support of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and San Diego State University. He is an honorary member of the Cornell Hotel Society, and the school's Executive Education Center bears the Marriott name.

The awards event will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by a dinner at 7:30 p.m.

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