New York, NY, June 23, 2003—The National Urban League, its staff, its more than 100 affiliates and its more than two million constituents, mourns the loss of one a revered member of the Urban League movement, former trustee Dr. Israel Tribble.

"Dr. Tribble was a true visionary, and his vision has been a source of inspiration for Urban League families, communities and leaders," National Urban League president Marc H. Morial stated.

"His passing leaves a tremendous void in the Urban League movement and in the lives of the students whose lives he touched directly and indirectly."

Dr. Tribble\'s accomplishments to the Urban League movement exceeded his contributions as a member of the board. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Tribble, then head of the Florida Education Fund, conceived of the McKnight Achievers Society, a community-based vehicle for recognizing high achievers and encouraging achievement by black children.

For more than a decade, Urban League affiliates collaborated with Dr. Tribble in inducting academic stars, who\\\'ve earned GPAs of 3.0 or better, into this august body. It has provided these young people with encouragement and, frankly, protective cover from peers who scorn achievement and those who achieve.

The National Urban League Campaign for African-American Achievement embraced this concept and took it national. Originally named after Justice Thurgood Marshall, it is now known as the National Achievers Society.

Since its inception in Florida in the mid-1980s, the National Urban League National Achievers Society has inducted nearly 30,000 achievers. The more than 10,000 McKnight achievers have been "grandfathered" in

Urban League affiliates stage grand ceremonies to recognize the student inductions, and Doing the Right Thing Days help to further celebrate student achievement through community activities such as fairs, parades and even special services at houses of worship.

Added Mr. Morial, "Dr. Tribble helped change the meaning and perception of achievement for thousands of children and their families, from something intangible and distant to something evident and glowingly positive. He will be deeply missed."

Dr. Tribble is the former president and CEO of the Florida Education Fund, a position he held from 1984 until last year. His background also includes positions as associate vice chancellor for academic programs at the State University System of Florida; director of voluntary education with the U.S. Department of Defense; special assistant to the US secretary of education; vice president and dean of academic affairs at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Fla.; and as provost at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Fla. and at Mills College in Oakland, Calif. He also has held various administrative-level positions, including special assistant to the president; assistant vice president, instructor of history, Interim director of ethnic studies and director of Upward Bound.

Tribble earned his Ed.D. degree in administration and policy analysis, from Stanford University in 1976 after completing his master\\\'s degree in the same discipline in 1975. He received his first master\\\'s degree in school administration from California State University in 1972. He was awarded a bachelor\\\'s degree in social studies and physical education from Montclair State University, New Jersey, in 1962.

In 1992, Tribble published his first book titled, Making Their Mark: Educating African American Children, which is now in its third printing. His second book, If You Can Walk You Can Dance, If You Can Talk You Can Sing: A Successful African American Doctoral Fellowship Program, was published in 1995. In addition, he has authored more than 20 other scholarly publications.