WASHINGTON, DC–( EMWNews – April 2, 2008) – The Horatio Alger Association of

Distinguished Americans announced today that it will honor television

personality Ed McMahon with a special tribute and award for his outstanding

service and dedication to the Association for more than 20 years. McMahon

will be recognized during the 2008 Horatio Alger awards ceremonies in

Washington, DC, April 3-5, 2008.

“I am so proud to recognize the dedication, energy and talent that Ed has

bestowed on the Association for two decades,” said Chairman Dennis R.

Washington. “His charm, wit and luminous spirit have shined upon the

Horatio Alger awards ceremonies, not only as emcee and producer, but as a

role model. He has provided a real star quality to our organization.”

McMahon became a member of the Horatio Alger Association in 1984 and has

served on the Board of Directors since 1996. He has also served as the

event’s executive producer since 2002. In 2003, McMahon received the Norman

Vincent Peale Award, which honors exceptional Horatio Alger members for

their ongoing involvement in Association activities, their humanitarian

contributions to society, and their service as role models of courage,

tenacity, and integrity in the face of great challenges.

McMahon’s own Horatio Alger story is a significant one. In his youth, his

family moved from town to town, and by the time he settled permanently with

his grandparents in Lowell, Massachusetts, he had attended 15 different

schools. He sold pots and pans door to door to make a living. He became

entranced with radio, and by age 11 he was practicing his announcer

techniques by reading Time magazine aloud into a flashlight. After working

on the sound truck for a traveling carnival, he landed his first job at age

17, as a radio announcer with a local station.

McMahon defended our country in both World War II and the Korean War, in

which he earned six air medals. His determination to have a career in

communications earned him his degree at Catholic University. He soon became

“Mr. Television” while he hosted, wrote and produced more than a dozen

television shows. He went on to become the host of “Who Do You Trust?”

starring Johnny Carson, and four years later hosted Carson’s “The Tonight

Show,” which lasted 30 years and 5,000 episodes. The show earned four

Emmys.

About The Horatio Alger Association

Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans

continues to fulfill its mission of honoring the achievements of

outstanding individuals in our society who have succeeded in spite of

adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through

higher education. The Horatio Alger Association offers scholarships through

three annual programs: the National Scholarship Program, State Scholarship

Programs for high school seniors and the Horatio Alger Military Veterans

Scholarship Program for U.S. veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq

conflicts. The Association now awards more than $12 million annually in

college scholarships, totaling $52 million in recent years. For more

information about the scholarships, please visit www.horatioalger.org.