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Horizon Honors Pat Kennedy on Columbia's Birthday: HCC Scholarship Commemorates Vision and Service

The Horizon Foundation has established a Howard Community College scholarship in honor of former Columbia Association president Padraic Kennedy in recognition of more than 35 years of service to the community.

Kennedy is the immediate past chair of The Horizon Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

"Pat is a wonderful person in addition to being an accomplished leader," said Foundation president and CEO Richard Krieg. "He brings wisdom and focus to everything he does, and the Horizon Foundation was no exception."

The recognition for Kennedy was precipitated by Columbia’s 40th birthday celebration now underway. The Kennedy Scholarship has been endowed with $40,000, and the income will provide annual funding for students taking a health-related curriculum.

"Pat is certainly one of the pivotal figures in Columbia's history,” Krieg said, citing Kennedy’s "vision and effectiveness in service to the community."

Kennedy was one of the first 10 members of the Peace Corps’ founding staff and designed the original training programs for volunteers serving overseas. He also served as the Peace Corps' Director of Volunteer Support. In 1964, he left the Peace Corps to help organize VISTA as Deputy Director and was appointed National Director by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968.

He left the government in 1970 to become director of Boise Cascade's Center for Community Development. Two years later, he joined the Columbia Association as president and CEO, a job he held for 27 years.

Kennedy led CA with charisma and dedication through a period of crucial development and growth.

"People often recall Pat as having been Columbia's tacit 'Mayor,'" Krieg says. "But they sometimes neglect to say that he was an excellent mayor. He brought an amazing skill set to the Columbia Association's leadership."

Kennedy was born in New York City and did his undergraduate work at Columbia College. He received a Master's Degree and did his doctoral work in American History at the University of Wisconsin, where he was both a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and a University of Wisconsin Fellow. He is the author of several articles in leading historical journals of American History.

In Howard County, his work on behalf of the community has reached far beyond CA. In addition to his Horizon leadership, he is a past chair of the Columbia Foundation, the Columbia Festival of the Arts and Howard Community College's Columbia Classic Grand Prix. He has also served on the boards of directors of the Maryland State Chamber of Commerce, The First American Bank of Maryland, the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, the Interfaith Housing Corporation, Howard Community College's Educational Foundation and The Park School.

In 1998, Kennedy was presented the James W. Rouse Award for extraordinary service to the community by the Columbia Foundation.

The HCC scholarship was announced at the Horizon Foundation's annual Awards Breakfast.

The Horizon Foundation, a $94 million philanthropy, addresses community health issues through a strategic grants program and partnerships with private and public institutions.  As a community health foundation, it takes a broad view of health and wellness and is committed to helping build a healthy and resilient community in Howard County.