Chairman Linda W. Cropp at the request of the
Mayor
A PROPOSED RESOLUTION IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To confirm the appointment of Ms. Peggy Cooper Cafritz to the Board of Trustees of the
University of the District of Columbia.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited
as the " Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia Peggy Cooper
Cafritz Confirmation Resolution of 1999".
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
Ms. Peggy Cooper Cafritz
3030 Chain Bridge Road, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20016
(Ward 3)
as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia,
established by section 201 of the District of Columbia Public Postsecondary Education
Reorganization Act, approved October 1, 1974 (88 Stat. 1424; D.C. Code §31-1511),
replacing Michele V. Hagans whose term ended May 15, 1999, for a term to end May 15, 2004.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this
resolution, upon its adoption, each to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
PEGGY COOPER CAFRlTZ
3030 Chain Bridge Road, NW
Washington, DC 20016
(202) 244-1966 FAX (202) 537-7040
Peggy Cooper Cafritz is a long time Washington arts activist who, with
choreographer Mike Malone, created Workshops for Careers in the Arts in 1968. {Workshops
was renamed the Duke Ellington School of the Arts (DESA) in 1974.} As a D.C. Public School
for youth gifted in the fine and performing arts, DESA receives a portion of its funds
from the city budget. Yet, extensive efforts must be made by the Ellington Fund to raise
supplementary funds from other public and private sources. Ms. Cafritz has taken a lead
role in that fund-raising task; over the years she has served as chair of the Fund and is
currently its volunteer Vice President for Development.
Ms. Cafritz’s lifelong dedication to the arts and its special role in
educating young people was recognized in 1994 by President Clinton, when he appointed her
Vice Chair of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. The Committee’s
mission is to increase public appreciation of the value of the arts and humanities. It
advocates and promotes programs that reach out to Americans in diverse communities and set
a standard of excellence.
A graduate of George Washington University Ms. Cafritz received a B.A.
in 1968 and a J.D. in 1971, followed by a fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson International
Center for Scholars. In addition to the President’s Committee, she also currently works as
a contributing editor for Elle Magazine, arts critic for the weekly PBS television program
"Around Town," Chair Emeritus of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities,
and Chair Emeritus of the Smithsonian Institute’s Cultural Equity Subcommittee.
Ms. Cafritz’s professional endeavors include an extensive list of
speaking engagements at such sites as the Smithsonian African American Association
Inaugural Event, the University of Michigan’s Institute for the Humanities; Georgetown
University 1989 Annual Provost’s Lecture, Women’s National Democratic Club, Kennedy
Center’s National Town Meeting, National Press Club, White House Conference on Youth, and
numerous other schools, conferences, programs and meetings around the country.
Active in several civic and business associations, Ms. Cafritz is a
member of the D.C. Bar Association, American Bar Association, National Women’s Forum, and
the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, the Economic Club of Washington, and the
Cosmos Club. Her civic activities include membership on the Board of Trustees for the
Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships, Inc.. the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Painting and
Sculpture Committee, Advisory Board W.E.B. Dubois Institute Harvard in Cambridge, MA, and
the American Association of Museum’s National Advisory Committee on Education
Ms. Cafritz has also received several awards and honors for her work.
Her awards include: the John D. Rockefeller Youth Award; the Peabody Award, the National
Society of Fundraising Executives 1992 Volunteer Fund Raiser of the Year; Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority, Inc., Outstanding Achievement Award, Arts and Letters; The 20th Malcolm X
Day Anniversary Award for Arts Advocacy; the Mayor’s Art Award for Excellence in Service
to the Arts; and the Helen Hays/Washington Post Distinguished Community Service Award; and
an Emmy for the weekly arts program "Around Town."
EDUCATION
1972 Admitted to D.C. Bar
1968-1971 George Washington University National Law Center, Juris Doctorate
1964-1968 George Washington University, B.A. Political Science
PROFESSIONAL
Current
Elle Magazine — Contributing Editor
Duke Ellington School of the Arts –The Ellington Fund, Vice President for Development;
Chair: 1974-1993; FounderSmithsonian Institution
African-American Institutional Study Advisory Committee since 1990
Search Committee for the Director of The National Museum of the American Indian 1989-1990
Smithsonian Cultural Education Committee, Chair: 1989-1993
Smithsonian Cultural Equity Subcommittee, Co-Chair: 1988-1993
Chair Emeritus, CurrentWETA-TV, "Around Town" since 1986 — Arts critic for weekly program
D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities — Chairman Emeritus, Chairman 1979- 1987,
Member Executive Commission 1970-1975
1979-1981 Community Service Broadcaster, Inc. (sold to Golden West Broadcasting —
President
1977-1979 Minority Cultural Project, Executive Director — a joint project with Harry
Belefonte and WQED/Pittsburgh to develop a dramatic literary series for CPB and PBS. The
project ultimately failed, for lack of funding.
1974-1977 Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc. — Special Assistant to the President
1974-1977 WTOP-TV, Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc. — Programming Executive; Documentary
Producer
1974 D.C. Bicentennial Commission — Executive Director, Great Issues Project
1972-1974 Arrowstreet, Architects & Planners, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts —
Washington Director
1971-l972 Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars — Fellow
1969-1972 Independent Arts Consultant — Potomac Institute; Mellon Foundation; Taconic
Foundation; Institute for Creative Policy; Studies; USIA – Documentary division; Office of
Human Resources, D.C.
SELECTED SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
Duke Ellington School of the Arts Graduation
Smithsonian African American Association Inaugural Event
University of Michigan: The Institute for the Humanities
Georgetown University 1989 Annual Provost’s Lecture
Women’s National Democratic Club
National Town Meeting, Kennedy Center
National Cathedral School for Girls, Commencement Address
Wilberforce University
Dag Hammarskjold University
National Committee, Arts for the Handicapped
National Press Club, Introductions of Carlos Fuentes and Nadine Gordimer
Panel Speaker for National Endowment for the Arts
Conference Panel, National Council on Foundations, Vice Chair Annual Meeting
White House Conference on Youth
Various Television Programs
SELECTED CIVIC ACTIVITIES
Current
Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships, Inc., Member of the Board of Trustees since 1994
Whitney Museum of American Art, Painting and Sculpture Committee, Member since 1993
Advisory Board W.E.B. Dubois Institute Harvard Cambridge, MA, Member since 1992
The American Association of Museums, National Advisory Committee on Education, Member
since 1992
World Music Productions, Board of Advisors since 1992
Pratt Institute, Member Board of Trustee since 1990
District Curators, Honorary Board Member since 1988
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Community Advisory Board Member since
1992; Chair, Marketing Committee since 1992; Board Member, representing the city of
Washington 1986-1991
1990 Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon’s Transition Committee
1990 Advisory Committee to the Chairman-Elect on Reorganizing the Council of the
District of Columbia, Member
1987-1989 Women’s Campaign Fund, Board Member
The American Place Theatre, New York, The Woman’s Project
1987-1988 Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee for the Promotion of the Arts and Economic
Development, Co-Chair with Mortimer Zuckerman
1986-1989 National Endowment for the Arts, Super Challenge Grant Panel 1989, 1986;
Expansion Arts Panel 1988; Design Panel 1987
l985-1989 National Jazz Services Organization, Board Member
1985-1988 PEN/Faulkner Foundation, Board Member
1983-1989 Washington Performing Arts Society, Board Member
1983-1986 Atlanta University, Board Member
1980-1987 National Assembly of State Art Agencies, Planning Committee 1986-1987;
Executive Board 1980-1986
1979-1987 Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation, Board Member
1976-1979 International Committee, UNICEF
1976-1979 WPFW-FM (Pacifica Radio), Founding Board Member, Washington, D.C.
1975-1979 The Arts, Education and Americans, Member, national panel, chaired by David
Rockefeller, Jr., conducting a study on the arts in American education.
1973-1979 National Program Board, North America Zone, Second World Black Arts Festival,
Board Member
1972-1976 Executive Committee, D.C. Board of Higher Education, Board Member
1972-1974 Corcoran Gallery of Art, Board of Governors, Member
1972-1974 American Film Institute, Trustee
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
D.C. Bar Association
American Bar Association
Cultural Alliance for Greater Washington
National Women’s Forum
Social Venture Network
The Economic Club of Washington
Cosmos Club
Lotos Club Affiliate Member
SELECTED AWARDS/HONORS
1993 National Society of Fundraising Executives, 1992 Volunteer Fund Raiser of the Year
1993 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Outstanding Achievement Award. Arts and Letters
1991 The 20th Malcolm X Day Anniversary Award for Arts Advocacy
1991 The Mayor’s Art Award for Excellence in Service to the Arts
1989 Helen Hays/Washington Post Distinguished Community Service Award, "Around
Town"
Emmy, "Around Town"
1988 BRAVA Award, Horizons Theater, Given annually, for signal service to the theater
community
1984 Women of Achievement, Public Television
1977 27th Annual Broadcast Media Award; National Emmy, Finalist; Local Emmy; Aspen
Institute, Alvin Brown Fellow
1976 George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Public Affairs
Television
1976 New York Black Film Festival Award, First Place in arts category
1974 President’s Medal, Catholic University, Outstanding Community
Service
1972 John D. Rockefeller, III Award, Given annually "to one young
person in the world, for an outstanding contribution toward the well-being of
man-kind."
1971 Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Youngest person ever selected
for a fellowship
1970 Woman of the Year, Mademoiselle Magazine
SELECTED LISTINGS
Who’s Who in America
Who’s Who in Black America
Who’s Who in the East
Who’s Who in Entertainment
Who’s Who Among Community Leaders in America
The World’s Who’s Who of Women
REFERENCES
John Brademas. President Emeritus, New York University
Joel Chaseman, Former President, Post-Newsweek Stations, Washington, D.C.
Johnetta Cole, President, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia
James Gibson, Former Vice President, The Rockefeller Foundation; Fellow, The Urban
Institute
Vernon Jordan, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld
Roger Stevens, Chairman Emeritus, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
William McSweeney, Former President Occidental International
Roger Kennedy, Director, The National Park Service
PRESS CLIPPINGS AND FURTHER REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST