Having just been awarded the Henry Cabot Lodge ’20 Distinguished Alumni Award for a lifetime of serving others in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world, Ned Seligman ‘65wheeled himself over to the center stage of the Wood Theatre. Using the podium for support, Ned carefully lifted himself out of his wheelchair and thoughtfully prepared to address his audience of classmates, friends, and fellow alumni. Just as he had in every aspect of his adult life, Ned wanted to do something – to say something – that would somehow be of benefit to everyone around him.
Ned graduated Middlesex in 1965 and went on to Yale, from which he graduated with a B.A. in History in 1969. He then joined the Peace Corps and has spent the majority of his life working in rural communities in Africa. His first 9 years following his college graduation were spent in Upper Volta, now known as Burkina Faso, and he also worked in Cameroon, Somalia, Mauritania with organizations such as Catholic Relief Services, the American Friends Service Committee, and the World Wildlife Fund. His work focused particularly on hydraulic construction such as dams, wells, dikes, canals and reservoirs. He received a Masters in Public Policy form the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1986.
In 1993, Ned arrived in Sao Tome e Principe, a small country located 200 miles off of the coast of Gabon in Central Africa, on a Peace Corps mission. Following a stint in Guinea-Bissau for more Peace Corps work, he returned to Sao Tome in 1998 to start STeP Up, an NGO that works with grassroots organizations to help identify problems, write proposals, and secure funding to facilitate projects for community improvement. Projects that address issues in education, health, income-generation, and agricultural training are the central focus of STeP Up’s work.
In 2004, on an annual trip back to the U.S. Ned took ill and was rushed to the hospital, fell into a coma, and was diagnosed with MRSA. The staph infection attacked multiple organs and also caused a gangrene-like infection in his extremities which required the amputation of both his legs below the knees, and most of his fingertips. Amazingly, a year after contracting the infection, Ned was back at his post in Sao Tome e Principe, where he continues his good work today.
Back at the podium, Ned recalled his days at Middlesex and the unlikely prospect of anyone – including himself – ever thinking of him as “distinguished.” Joking aside, Ned attributed his achievements to commitment and hard work, and he implored those before him to pursue those interests about which they are passionate, “for it is the passion that pushes you to endeavor and achieve.”