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Tufts Honors Ethan Allen's Kathwari
June 4,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on June 5, 2012
Tufts University has awarded an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree to Ethan Allen Chairman, President and CEO Farooq Kathwari.
Kathwari was honored for combining corporate leadership with a dedication to public service and humanitarian efforts during Tufts' 156th commencement ceremony on May 20.
I am humbled to have received this honor from Tufts for the work I am so passionate about, Kathwari said.
Political upheaval separated your family following the partition of India in 1947," said Tufts President Anthony P. Monaco in awarding the degree. "From that searing personal experience, you have gone on to become an acclaimed entrepreneur and a respected humanitarian. After university in Kashmir, you came to the United States and entered business with little more than twelve wicker baskets, filled with handicrafts. Your drive and talent took you to the leadership of a dynamic international business, as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ethan Allen. At the same time, you have worked to mitigate the harsh impact of geopolitics on the lives of ordinary people, speaking tirelessly for those without a voice.
"You have served as chair of Refugees International, dedicated to advocacy for the displaced, and as a director of the International Rescue Committee, providing relief to those caught up in humanitarian crises around the world. You founded and still lead the Kashmir Study Group, to provide a thoughtful basis for reducing tensions in the still volatile region of your birth. For combining corporate leadership with dedication to the highest ideals of global citizenship, we take great pride in conferring upon you the degree of Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa.