Created as a monument to peaceful accomplishments for the past 2000 years, the Millennium Gate Museum affirmed its mission with the inaugural presentation of the Middelthon-Candler Peace, Justice and Millennium Gate Prizes at gala evening on Saturday, December 5, 2009. Over 200 Atlanta luminaries of the cultural, social, civic and philanthropic worlds applauded the Prize recipients: Joel Katz, global chair of the law firm Greenberg Traurig accorded the Millennium Gate Prize for his worldwide philanthropy; Retired Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Sears Ward, who received the Justice Prize for her dedication to the integrity of the justice system; and President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s granddaughter Susan Eisenhower, of Washington, D.C., honored with the Peace Prize for her initiatives to contain nuclear and atomic threats and service as president of the Eisenhower Institute.
With the generous support of the Atlanta community, the Millennium Gate Museum raised more than $150,000 to facilitate the museum’s mission to preserve and interpret Georgia history, architecture, culture and philanthropic heritage, as well as highlight Georgia’s historical and aesthetic relevance to the United States and to the world. According to Rodney M. Cook, Jr., President of the Millennium Gate Museum and National Monuments Foundation, “Matthew Middelthon, the great-great-grandson of Coca-Cola founder Asa G. Candler, established these awards as a continuation of the Candler family’s community civic, educational and cultural leadership. Institutions such as Emory University, Zoo Atlanta and the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center as well as landmarks including Candler Field, now Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the Candler Building and the Biltmore Hotel have benefited from the Candler family’s philanthropy.”
The gloriously illuminated Millennium Gate, designed in the tradition of classical Roman triumphal arches, riveted guests as they arrived in Atlantic Station. Cocktail receptions on the arch’s highest level offered panoramic views of Atlanta and, in the galleries, a display of the current exhibition of “Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870 – 1940.”
The generosity of William Jay Patrons was instrumental in the evening’s success, with support given by The Coca-Cola Company, Lorin and Matthew Middelthon, Greenberg Traurig, Ann E, Middelthon, DeVyne Stephens of Upfront Megatainment and National Distributing Company.
The upcoming Middelthon-Candler Millennium Gate, Peace and Justice Prize Ceremony will be on Saturday, November 20, 2010.
