Monmouth University awards diplomat, humanitarian 'Distinguished Alumni Award'

WEST LONG BRANCH – Monmouth University celebrated its 81st Anniversary on Wednesday with its annual Founders' Day ceremony, during which the university honored one of its most distinguished graduates.

Thomas Gallagher – a Long Branch native and a member of Monmouth University's Class of 1962 – was presented the university's "Distinguished Alumni Award" during the Convocation ceremony of the campus-wide event

Upon graduating from Monmouth, Gallagher joined the Peace Corps and entered into public service in the State Department, where – at the age of 34 – he rose to become the youngest chief of a diplomatic mission in modern United States history as Consul General in Ecuador.

Thomas Gallagher, a member of Monmouth University's Class of 1962, was presented the university's "Distinguished Alumni Award" during the university's annual Founders' Day event on Wednesday. (Courtesy of Monmouth University)

Gallagher later served as American Consul in Belgium and Spain, and country officer for Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In 1973, he became the first civil servant of any government in the world to voluntarily come out of the closet as a gay person.

Nearly four decades later, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited Gallagher's courage in a speech, noting that Gallagher's actions permanently changed the State Department.

Gallagher also spent several years in San Francisco running the nation's largest public mental health clinic, which won awards for its AIDS services during the worst years of the epidemic. He also worked in the Office of International Health, where he chaired the first inter-governmental meeting on the avian flu, and represented the U.S. at The Hague to obtain commitments for assistance to South Sudan.

Working with USAID, Gallagher ensured delivery of food to 1.5 million starving people in Sudan.  His work in the Office of East African Affairs during the attacks on the U.S. embassies earned him a Certificate of Appreciation from Secretary of State Madelyn Albright.

"Tom Gallagher's service is distinguished in the areas of diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and social work," Monmouth University President Paul R. Brown said in a release. "We are also pleased to recognize his courage as a champion of civil rights."

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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