Countess Albina du Boisrouvray, founder of the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health & Human Rights, located at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, recently was awarded the honor of Officier de la Légion d’honneur, France’s highest order of merit, in a ceremony at the Quai d’Orsay in Paris, France.
At the March 14, 2017 ceremony, Jean-Marc Ayrault, French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, noted that du Boisrouvray had transformed personal tragedy — the death of her son François-Xavier — into action on behalf of those suffering worldwide. He highlighted her engagement, courage, and generosity. The tragedy led du Boisrouvray to leave a successful career as a film producer and devote her life to humanitarian causes, including the 1993 founding of the FXB Center. Du Boisrouvray currently chairs the Harvard FXB Advisory Committee.
See an FXB Center article and a video of the award ceremony: Albina du Boisrouvray Receives France’s Highest Honor: Transforming Tragedy into Humanitarian Action