Sidney Taurel
"Born in Morocco as a Spanish citizen and educated in France and the U.S., Sidney Taurel spent most of his early Lilly career in assignments in Latin America and Europe. He became chairman of Lilly in 1999, and leads one of our state's largest employers through an exciting period of new product generation. Sidney received the French Legion of Honor in June 2001, a testament to the impact of his leadership for international education in Indiana. He and Kathy Taurel were key to the establishment of the International School of Indiana which emphasizes a language immersion curriculum for children from Indiana and abroad. Sidney has consistently addressed the importance of mutual understanding and respect among people in this country's diverse communities. A U.S. citizen since 1995, Sidney received the 2000 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, the largest American organization that encourages cultural unity. Also in 2001, the Anti-Defamation League honored Taurel with its Ameican Heritage Award. He and his family provide continuing support for cultural and educational resources important to our community."
--from the invitation to the International Citizen of the Year 2001 dinner in his honor