1999 Distinguished Service Citation

Peter Tufo was clearly set on a course when he arrived at Beloit, professing an academic interest in law and theater. He had already established his propensity for being where the action was as Traffic Safety Council chair in high school. During his distinguished forty-year career in law and public service, he has split his time between making things happen at the highest levels of business and society, with serving in the most challenging posts on the front lines of public service. As an advocate of hands-on involvement and creative problem solving, he directed New York City’s high visibility Washington office, led New York’s Board of Corrections during which time he crawled through prison walls to negotiate with inmates, chaired the New York State Thruway Authority – the largest tollroad, bridge and canal system in the U.S., and served as this nation’s representative in Hungary during a period of redefinition in Central and Eastern Europe. A graduate of Yale Law School, he has made Rupert Murdoch pay more than he planned to create his publications empire, and helped Daniel Schorr publish secret House Intelligence Committee reports which led to the CBS correspondent’s new career at National Public Radio. He has been nominated for Emmy Awards for his writing and commentary of programs on crime, and has received an honorary doctorate from City University of New York in recognition of his outstanding service to that City. As Ambassador to Hungary, he brings pride and recognition to Beloit College and, in response, the Beloit College Alumni Association is pleased to honor him on this, the occasion of his 40^th reunion, with the Distinguished Service Citation.