New York, N.Y. July 17, 2007 - - The National Urban League will honor John E. Jacob, who served as president and CEO from the 1980s through the early 1990s, at the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Gala that will close out the NUL 2007 annual conference later this month in St. Louis, Mo.

Young, whose life was cut tragically short after drowning off the coast of Nigeria, served as the league's fourth executive director from 1961 to 1971. During his tenure, he brought the league into the forefront of the civil rights movement, expanding its scope beyond social services.

Sponsored by BP America, Prudential Financial, Toyota, UPS and Wal-Mart, the event will take place on Saturday July 28 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in the America's Ballroom at the America's Center.

Jacob, a retired executive vice president of global communications for Anheuser-Busch Companies who continues to serve on the company's board, led the league from 1982 to 1994. The 29-year veteran of the Urban League movement also headed the Washington, D.C. and San Diego affiliates. Born in Louisiana and raised in Houston, Jacob holds his bachelor's and master's degrees from Howard University as well as 19 honorary doctoral degrees. He has also served on the boards of countless corporations, including Morgan Stanley and Coca-Cola, among others.

" I am delighted to honor the outstanding John Jacob who, through his tireless and impassioned work in the Urban League movement and corporate America, has played a vital role in opening doors for African-Americans everywhere," NUL President and CEO Marc H. Morial said.

The invocation will be delivered by the Rev. Sammie Jones, pastor of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. John D. Hofmeister, the new chairman of the NUL Board of Trustees and president of the Shell Oil Company, will be on hand to present a $5-million check to the league from the company. Past NUL Board Chair Michael J. Critelli, now Executive Chairman of Pitney Bowes, Inc., and Noel Hankin, Sr. Vice President of Multicultural Initiatives for Moet Hennessy USA, will be present to pass the gavel. The gala will also feature a performance by the Cameron Youth Chamber Orchestra.

The NUL 97th annual conference, which is expected to draw over 10,000 attendees from across the nation, will take place from July 25 through July 28. The four-day event, the theme of which is "You, Your Money, Your Future," will feature over 80 dynamic speakers and experts in four plenary sessions and 18 workshops to be held over four days. It is the premier networking, recruiting and issues conference for African-American professionals nationwide.

Two political-themed plenary sessions, including a presidential candidate forum as well as a panel discussion assessing whether the black vote will be taken for granted, will be held. In addition, the conference will feature a town hall addressing "The Black Male Crisis" and a family prayer breakfast. The plenary sessions will precede a wide array of workshops - from leadership and career development to wealth accumulation, entrepreneurship and understanding financial management to improving one's health and wellness - in an effort to help participants improve themselves economically and physically.

Confirmed speakers include: Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Susan Taylor of Essence Magazine and Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, among others.

More information about the National Urban League's 2007Annual Conference registration, exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities is available on the league's website at www.nul.org.

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