Simon Daro Dawidowicz, an American Jew, became the first United States citizen ever to receive the coveted Bolivian Medal, at a ceremony held here yesterday. The award is customarily given only to the Presidents of Colombia and Venezuela, or to prominent Latin American students of the achievements of Simon Bolivar. The latter is almost universally revered throughout South America as the liberator of the continent.
United States Ambassador Fulton Freeman and members of the Colombian cabinet attended the ceremony in which the Bolivarian Society’s traditional six-pointed star was hung around the neck of the recipient of the honor. Lt. Col. Alberto Lozano, president of the society, hailed Mr. Dawidowicz as “a select spirit.” Mr. Dawidowicz was formerly a full time resident of Colombia. He now conducts record distributing businesses in New York and in Bogota, spending part of each year here.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
