17 Facts About Maurice Pate

Maurice Pate was an American humanitarian and businessman.

Maurice Pate was recognized worldwide for his efforts on behalf of children and hungry people.

Maurice Pate was the oldest of seven children, three of whom died in infancy.

Maurice Pate's family moved to Denver, Colorado, when he was three years old.

Maurice Pate graduated from East Denver High School in Denver, Colorado, in 1911, then left Denver for Princeton University.

Maurice Pate went to work for the First National Bank in Hartley, Iowa, where his uncle was president, immediately after graduation and stayed until the United States joined World War I After a great deal of persuasion, he worked for Herbert Hoover's Commission for Relief in Belgium, which began a lifelong friendship and collaboration.

Maurice Pate worked for Standard Oil of New Jersey in Poland from 1922 to 1927 doing financial and sales work.

Maurice Pate married Jadwiga Mankowska, a Polish socialite, in 1927, managed Polish import and banking business, and returned to the United States in 1935 as an investment banker and businessman.

Maurice Pate agreed to serve as the director upon the condition that UNICEF serve the children of "ex-enemy countries", regardless of race or politics.

Maurice Pate received many honors and awards for his humanitarian work.

Maurice Pate received decorations from the governments of Belgium, France, Poland, Netherlands, and Ecuador, received an honorary degree from Denison University in 1956, and an honorary PhD from Princeton in 1958.

Maurice Pate was awarded the Albert Lasker Public Service Award in 1959.

Maurice Pate declined a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 because he felt the contributions of the entire UNICEF organization should be recognized instead of one individual's contribution.

Maurice Pate married Martha Lucas in 1961, one year after his former wife, Jadwiga, had died.

Lucas Maurice Pate was successively assistant dean of Radcliffe College and president of Sweet Briar College, and served on the board of the United Negro College Fund and the national selection committee for Fulbright Scholars, and was active in UNESCO, which had many concurrent activities with UNICEF.

Maurice Pate died suddenly of a heart attack at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan on January 19,1965, only a few months before he was to retire.

Nine months after Maurice Pate died, UNICEF was awarded the 1965 Nobel Peace Prize.