H. Neil Mallon Award

Named in honor of the Council’s founder, the H. Neil Mallon Award is presented annually to individuals who have excelled at promoting the international focus of North Texas. Funds raised from this event support the Council’s public and education programming, international exchanges, and diplomatic services.

2025 H. Neil Mallon Award Honoree:

James W. Keyes, Former President & CEO of 7-Eleven, Inc. & Former Chairman & CEO of Blockbuster, Inc.

The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth honored Jim Keyes, global business leader and bestselling author, as the 2025 H. Neil Mallon Award Honoree. This event was hosted on October 30, 2025 and featured The Honorable Tom Leppert with John B. King and Margaret Spellings, former U.S. Secretaries of Education, as keynote speakers.

The prestigious Mallon Award is named after the Council’s founder and is presented annually to individuals who have excelled in promoting the international profile of North Texas.

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See more information about the Mallon Award and its history below.

About H. Neil Mallon

H. Neil Mallon, the late chairman of Dresser Industries, founded the World Affairs Council in Dallas in 1951. Mallon was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1895 and died in Dallas in March of 1983. His alma mater was Yale University. Mallon became president of Dresser in 1928. He built the company from a simple pipeline equipment supplier to a worldwide energy product company. By the time Dresser merged with Halliburton in 1998, it was a $7 billion dollar company.

At the founding of the Council in 1951, Neil Mallon said, “The peace of the world, nothing less, depends to a considerable extent upon how well the people of the country understand and influence our foreign policy.”

In a letter to President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952, Mallon further explained why he had founded the Council: “Our task is to help interpret events on the world scene to citizens of this area and to give them a sense of participation, so vital to democracy, in the actions and policies of our country. It is quite evident that any real success accruing to our nation’s conduct in world affairs must be solidly based on public understanding and approval.”

Neil Mallon also listed five specific ways in which the Council helps the individual and the community:

The Council enables its members to combat public indifference and apathy in world affairs in a forceful, effective manner.
It enables members to hear national and international leaders tell the ‘inside story’ of what is going on in the world.
It helps members make a direct and important contribution to the education of neighbors and fellow citizens.
It provides a world affairs information center for other community groups.
And, it establishes Dallas as one of the country’s foremost cities in its interest and knowledge of world affairs.

H. Neil Mallon Past Recipients

1983 Lorinne Emery
1984 George Haddaway
1984 Russell H. Perry
1985 William E. Cooper
1986 Trammell Crow, Sr.
1987 J. Erik Jonsson
1988 Stanley Marcus
1989 Ebby Halliday-Acers and Maurice Acers
1990 Robert Crandall
1991 Ambassador R. Richard Rubottom
1992 Honorable Robert Strauss
1993 Honorable David G. Fox
1994 L. Frank Pitts
1995 The Honorable Annette Strauss
1997 Lester M. Alberthal, Jr.
1998 Honorable Albert V. Casey
1999 Vice President Richard B. Cheney
Keynote: Dr. Robert Gates
2001 Ray L. Hunt
Keynote: Don Evans
2002 President George H.W. Bush
Entertainment: Gary P. Nunn
2003 Raymond D. Nasher
Entertainment: The Capitol Steps
2004 Lee R. Raymond
Keynote: Dr. Daniel Yergin
2005 Thomas J. Engibous
Keynote: Neil Cavuto
2006 Gerard J. Arpey
Keynote: Bobby Haas
2007 Dallas Center for the Performing Arts and The Trinity Trust Foundation
Keynote: David Brooks
2008 Ross Perot and Ross Perot, Jr.
Keynote: Scott Pelley
2009 Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H.
Keynote: Ray Zahab
2010 Jeffrey P. Fegan
Keynote: Dr. Larry Sabato
2011 Randall Stephenson
Keynote: Thomas Friedman
2012 David T. Seaton and Alan L. Boeckmann
Keynote: Dr. Larry Sabato
2013 Lucy Billingsley
Keynote: Joel Sartore
2014 Rex W. Tillerson
Keynote: Secretary Robert M. Gates
2015 Ambassador Richard W. Fisher
Keynote: Secretary George P. Shultz with Evan Thomas
2016 Doug Parker
Keynote: David Ignatius
2017 Dirk Nowitzki
Keynote: Bret Baier
2018 Ambassador Ron Kirk
Keynote: Hon. Michael Punke and Scott Pelley
2019 Honorable Mike Rawlings
Keynote: Skip Hollandsworth
2020 Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison
Keynote: Secretary Robert M. Gates
2021 Ambassador Kathryn Hall and Craig Hall
Keynote: Secretary Madeleine Albright
2022 Ambassador Jeanne L. Phillips
Keynotes: Ambassador Karen Hughes and Secretary Condoleezza Rice
2023 Kenneth A. Hersh
Keynote: Bill Browder
2024 Clark Hunt
Keynote: Mike Tirico