John Haynes Holmes Gets Gottheil Medal

The Reverend John Haynes Holmes of the Community Church, New York, has been awarded the Zeta Beta Tau Gottheil Medal for the year 1932. This medal is given annually by this fraternity, the oldest and largest Jewish college fraternity in America, to the American who has done the most for Jewry, during the year for which the recognition is given.

Although Zeta Beta Tau annually presents the Gottheil Medal, its recipient is selected by the vote of a committee of editors of the Anglo-Jewish press of the United States.

The presentation took place last night in Boston, at the Copley Plaza Hotel, at a banquet which is the “key” affair of over forty held the same evening in various cities throughout the United States. These functions are held annually in May on what is known in Zeta Beta Tau as “Old Timers’ Day.”

The Gottheil Medal was established in honor of Professor Richard J. H. Gottheil of Columbia University, an outstanding leader in Jewish, American and international culture. For many years, Dr. Gottheil was national president of Zeta Beta Tau. The medal was first awarded, for the year 1925, to Dr. Stephen Wise of New York City. For 1926 it was received by David Brown of Detroit. It was next awarded to Aaron Sapiro of California for 1927. Julius Rosenwald of Chicago received the fourth medal for 1928. Felix M. Warburg of New York City was the recipient for 1929 and it was awarded to Governor Herbert H. Lehman for 1930. No award was made for 1931.

In connection with the Boston “key” affair of its national program, Zeta Beta Tau is conducting, at the Copley Plaza Hotel, a three-day convention in which twenty-four of its Eastern units are participating.

Here in New York “Old Timers’ Day” was celebrated at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where a ball was given by the Metropolitan Alumni Club of Zeta Beta Tau.