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Press Release
Swiss Bank Whistleblower
Receives
Full Scholarship from Chapman
University
Nov. 18,1998 Chapman
University announced today that Christoph Meili the Swiss bank
guard who gained international acclaim after saving Holocaust
era documents from being shredded, is being awarded a full,
four-year scholarship to the university.
Mr. Meili 30, will begin studying
at Chapman in the fall semester of 1999. He currently lives in
New Jersey, where his family fled after receiving threats and
hate mail from individuals in Switzerland, leading him to seek
asylum in the U.S.
The threats followed news
reports that Mr. Meili uncovered documents that were about to be
destroyed which revealed the true ownership of Jewish assets
seized during the Holocaust. Mr. Meili passed these documents on
to a Jewish cultural group in
Switzerland. His actions led to a $1.25 billion settlement to
Holocaust survivors, their families and Jewish groups.
"In meeting Christoph,
I was struck by his deep convictions and values
orientation," stated James Doti, president of Chapman
University. "He
also exhibited a love of
learning and a strong desire to continue his education.
Christoph will add greatly to the university community. His
willingness to act on his beliefs and values and bear whatever
the consequences is a true profile in courage and a wonderful
example for others."
The "1939" Club,
a Southern California group consisting of Holocaust survivors
and their families, has established
a living expense fund for the displaced Meili family. William
Elperin president of The "1939" Club, helped Mr. Meili
evaluate a number of scholarships offered to the ex-bank guard.
After extensive discussions with Mr. Meili and his wife, Elperin
recommended that he accept a scholarship from Chapman.
"Christoph
deserves to be honored for his brave actions, and a college
education from Chapman University will enable him to build a
better future for himself and his family," said Elperin, a
Los Angeles attorney. "I like that Chapman is well
established, more than 130 years old. Chapman is small enough so
that Christoph won't get lost,
but it has impressive breadth in its academic programs.
Christoph has a variety of interests, Such as computer science,
film, history and pre-law, all of which are available at
Chapman. Both Christoph, who is Christian, and I were
particularly impressed by Chapman's Holocaust education program,
founded by religion and history professor Marilyn Harran.
"We also were
impressed by the university's required Freshman Seminar Program
and its Berlin Wall project. All this represents Chapman's
emphasis on global citizenship, a commitment Christoph
shares."
Mr. Meili and his wife were particularly taken with the
beauty of the campus, the small town atmosphere and the friendly
enthusiasm of everyone they met.
"I cannot express how
happy I am that Chapman University and the "1939" Club
have gone to such lengths to support me and my family," Mr.
Meili said. "I was just one of
the little people who felt I should do what I could to see
justice done.
"I love my native
country, Switzerland, and I am saddened that we can no longer
live there. Unfortunately, there are those who in an effort to
forget the past would turn their backs
on those who were persecuted in the Holocaust. I am not one
of those people. I look forward to starting a new life at
Chapman University and making my home in Southern
California." Mr.
Meili and his family will move to Southern California in the
summer of 1999. He has not yet decided on a major. Chapman's
fall semester begins Aug. 30, 1999.
Chapman University is the
largest and oldest independent university in Orange County,
Calif. Founded in 1861, the university is comprised of two
colleges and six schools, including a school of film and
television and a law school, which received provisional ABA
approval in 1998.
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