 The Linden trees at the Meridian International Center were aglow for the evening |
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On Friday night The Meridian International Center celebrated its 50th Anniversary and hosted the 42nd Annual Meridian Ball. The efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama, honorary chair; Chief of Protocol of the United States Ambassador Capricia Penavic Marshall, Honorary Sponsor; Michelle Cross Fenty, Honorary Benefactor; and the Ball Committee, resulted in a fantastic tribute and celebration.
The magnificent building glowed both inside and out with guests mingling in the tented gardens, enjoying dessert, live music and dancing, and the company of so many in the international community. As is tradition, the evening began with intimate dinners at host embassies. This year dinners were held at the embassies of Mexico, Egypt, Spain, France, China and India, to list but a few. In addition, a dinner took place at the magnificent White-Meyer House on the Meridian campus.
Congressional Chairs Mrs. Scott Brown, and Mrs. James Oberstar, ball chairs Mrs. Huda Farouki, and Mrs. Frederic Malek, and Gwen and Stuart Holliday, President and CEO of Meridian, all did their part to advance Meridian’s mission of promoting international understanding by celebrating its past and bringing the community together to toast the future.
— Report by Mimi Reisner and photographs by Joyce N. Boghosian
Gala co-chairs Samia and Huda Farouki, Janet and James Blanchard, and Gwen and Stuart Holliday, the President and CEO of Meridian
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Queen Noor
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Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), Leslie Gordon, former Amb. Mary Ourisman, Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas) and Linda McCaul
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Ann Nitze, Gail Huff, and Lucky Roosevelt | 
Meridian president and CEO Stuart Holliday and his wife Gwen celebrate the 50th anniversary of Meridian International Center |
Dr. Robert Marshall, Ambassador of Afghanistan Said Jawad, Shamim Jawad, and Capricia Marshall, Chief of Protocol
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Former Ambassador Sharon P. Wilkinson dances at the ball
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Gail Huff greets John Negroponte, as Gwen and Stuart Holliday prepare to greet more guests
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Dancing |
Ken and Jackie Duberstein with Sam Donaldson and Jan Smith
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Alexandra and Arnaud de Borchgrave
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Guests on the dance floor
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Patricia Harrison, CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with Mr. and Mrs. A. Huda Farouki |
 Heather Musser, Lt. Gen. Dan Christman (ret.), Susan Christman, and Phil Musser
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The dance floor was hopping |
ABC's Jake Tapper, MIX 107.3's Tommy McFly, Jen Tapper, Kevin Madden, Marc Adelman, Garance Ruta
and Jacqulin Madden |
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