Elliot Francis Gerson (born July 15, 1952) is an American nonprofit executive, formerly a lawyer, business executive and state and federal government official. He is executive vice president of
The Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...
, and th
American Secretaryo
The Rhodes Trust
Education and Early Life
Born in New Haven, Connecticut he was an undergraduate at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, a
Rhodes Scholar
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
who studied at
Magdalen College in Oxford, and a law student at
Yale Law School
Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by ''U ...
. He was a US Supreme Court clerk, practiced law in government and privately, held executive positions in state and federal government and on a presidential campaign, and was president of start-ups in health care and education, and of two insurance and health-care companies.
Career
Gerson is the executive vice president of the
Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...
, a nonpartisan organization based in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
He is responsible for its Public Programs, Policy Programs and International Partners. He is also the American Secretary to the
Rhodes Trust
Rhodes House is a building part of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on South Parks Road in central Oxford, and was built in memory of Cecil Rhodes, an alumnus of the university and a major benefactor. It is listed Grade II* ...
, responsible for the
Rhodes Scholarships
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is con ...
in the United States.
Law
Gerson’s career has included work as a civilian assistant to the
U.S. Secretary of Defense Harold Brown in the Carter Administration, during which time he was awarded the
Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal. He was Special Assistant to the
Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
(now the Department of Health and Human Services),
Joseph Califano
Joseph Anthony Califano Jr. (born May 15, 1931) is an American attorney, professor, and public servant. He is known for the roles he played in shaping welfare policies in the cabinets of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter and for se ...
, in the Carter Administration. He was a
clerk
A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...
to Judge
Harold Leventhal
Harold Leventhal (May 24, 1919 – October 4, 2005) was an American music manager. He died in 2005 at the age of 86. Leventhal's career began as a song plugger for Irving Berlin and then Benny Goodman. While working for Goodman, he connected ...
of th
United States Court of Appealsfor the D.C. Circuit, and also clerk to Justice
Potter Stewart
Potter Stewart (January 23, 1915 – December 7, 1985) was an American lawyer and judge who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1958 to 1981. During his tenure, he made major contributions to, among other areas, ...
of the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
of the United States.
Deputy Attorney General of Connecticut
He practiced law as th
Deputy Attorney General of Connecticutwhere he argued cases including in the State and U.S. Supreme Courts, and briefly before that in private practice in Hartford, CT and Washington, D.C.
Financial Services Industry
Mr. Gerson then entered the financial services industry where he rose to Executive Vice President o
The Travelers Corporationand President of its managed healthcare and health insurance business, and was briefly Executive Vice President for successor companie
and
United Health Care
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is an American multinational managed healthcare and insurance company based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. It offers health care products and insurance services. UnitedHealth Group is the world's seventh largest c ...
. He subsequently led smaller start-up companies in technology and specialized health care.
Policy Director, Finance Chair, Joseph Lieberman campaign
Gerson worked as Policy Director then Finance Chair in the
2004 presidential campaign of
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman.
Mandela Rhodes Foundation, the Äänit Prize
In 2003, Gerson and colleagues met with former
South African President Nelson Mandela, regarding the establishment of a new foundation focused on expanding opportunities for Africans in higher education. This became the
Mandela Rhodes Foundation
A Mandela Rhodes Scholarship provides full funding for up to a maximum of two years of postgraduate study for an African citizen under 30 years of age. The award is open to all African citizens under the age of 30 years and recipients must study t ...
which offers young leaders from across the African continent a chance to become part of Nelson Mandela’s legacy of transformative impact. In 2021 Gerson Chaired the Judges' Panel of the Foundation’s inaugura
Äänit Prize which supports initiatives that can deliver positive social impact for Africa’s most marginalized populations.
American Secretary, The Rhodes Trust
Mr. Gerson was the
American Secretary to The Rhodes Trust for 25 years, administering the
Rhodes Scholarships
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is con ...
in the United States from 1998 to 2023. The earliest and arguably most famous of all international scholarships, the Rhodes Scholarships offer two to four years of funding to attend the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
in the United Kingdom, and the United States is by far the largest Rhodes constituency, with 32 Scholars elected annually. Gerson was appointed by Trust CEO and Warden
Sir Anthony Kenny in 1998 as its fifth American Secretary, following
David Alexander, and stepped down in 2023. In 2014, for his contribution to the University of Oxford, Gerson was recognized as a "Distinguished Friend of Oxford.” He still serves on the Scholarship Committee of the Rhodes Trustees. Prior to becoming American Secretary, Gerson was a Rhodes Scholar for over a decade, and Assistant Secretary to the Trust under then Secretar
William J. Barberfrom 1977 to 1979.
Arts, Humanities and Social Services
Active over his career in a wide range of community activities, particularly in the arts, humanities and social services, Elliot Gerson served as president of th
Hartford Stage Company president o
The Hartford Courant Foundation and trustee o
Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network He also served as a director of th
Connecticut Humanities Council the
Connecticut Historical Society
The Connecticut Historical Society (CHS) is a private, non-profit organization that serves as the official statewide historical society of Connecticut. Established in Hartford in 1825, the CHS is one of the oldest historical societies in the US.
...
, th
Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Foundation and th
Connecticut Civil Liberties Union
Additionally, Gerson was a trustee of
The Shakespeare Theatre
The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the Shakespeare canon, but its seasons include works by other classic playwrights such as Euripides, ...
in Washington, D.C., and was a member of its executive committee. He was a trustee of the
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is a national legal-advocacy organization representing people with mental disabilities in the United States. Originally known as The Mental Health Law Project, the Center was founded as a national public-in ...
, and is a
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, mi ...
br>
member He was also the chair of the first selection committee of the
George J. Mitchell Scholarships for U.S. college graduates to study at Irish universities, a program modeled on the Rhodes Scholarships.
Board Service
Mr Gerson has served on many non-profit boards and advisory committees, especially in the arts. His current Board service includes Th
Aspen Institute International Partnersin Germany, Japan, Ukraine, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. He also serves on the board of the
Service Year Alliance
Service Year Alliance is an American nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.
History
The organization was formed in 2016 through the merger of three historical national service efforts (the Franklin Project at the Aspen Institu ...
, that is dedicated to expanding opportunities for civilian national service in the United States.
Personal Life
Mr. Gerson’s father was Louis L. Gerson, who was born in Tomaszow Lubelski, Poland in 1921. He earned his PhD at Yale and was a professor of Political Science at th
University of Connecticut and its department chair.
His mother, Elizabeth Shanley Gerson, was born in New York City in 1928 of Irish immigrants, and was soon orphaned. She earned her B. A. and Master of Social Work at the University of Connecticut and practiced as a geriatric social worker. In 1997, the Gerson Family endowed th
Elizabeth Shanley Gerson Irish Literature Readingat the University of Connecticut, to bring an Irish writer to the University every year.
Mr. Gerson’s siblings include William Gerson and Ann Swanson. He has five children and two stepchildren: Emily Rosenthal, Hilary Axtmayer, Alexander Gerson, Marissa Newton, Jillian Gerson, Diana Ryan and Julia Ryan. He is a resident of Snowmass Village, Colorado, as well as Washington, D. C., and La Paz, BCS, Mexico.
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerson, Elliot
Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford
American Rhodes Scholars
Harvard University alumni
1952 births
Yale Law School alumni
Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States
Living people