The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) presented an Honorary Fellowship to prominent Washington, DC, attorney William J. Kilberg, Esq. during the 85th Board of Governors Meeting on June 14th in Jerusalem, Israel.
Mr. Kilberg currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Vorbeck Materials Corporation, a technology company that produces graphene-based electronic communication systems for military and civilian use. He is also a member of, and serves as counsel to, the Board of the Nixon Foundation. Earlier this year, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed Bill to the newly created Virginia Commission to Combat Antisemitism.
He retired from the practice of law after 38 years as Senior Partner with Gibson, Dunn & CrutcherLLP, a renowned international corporate law firm where he served on the Executive and Management Committees of the Firm and as Partner-in-Charge of its Washington, DC, office. During his career as a labor and employment law litigator, he argued numerous cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States and before the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Kilberg is a member of American Friends of the Hebrew University’s (AFHU) National Board of Directors and is President of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Board. In 2014, Bill received the Torch of Learning Award from AFHU for his concern for justice, his support of higher education, and his overall leadership.
Paying tribute to the Honorees, HU President Asher Cohen said, “We welcome William J. Kilberg into the ranks of the Hebrew University Honorary Fellows. He is one of a highly select group of esteemed individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, philanthropy, and advocacy in support of Israel and the cause of higher education.
Acknowledging the accolade, Mr. Kilberg said, “Hebrew University is educating the next generation of scholars, leaders, and innovators. It serves the people of Israel and contributes enormously to the world’s health and well-being. I am honored and humbled to accept this award.”
A White House Fellow and Special Assistant to Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz in 1969-70, Mr. Kilberg was appointed by President Nixon and unanimously confirmed by the Senate as Solicitor for the U.S. Department of Labor, a position he held from 1973 until 1977. Mr. Kilberg has the honor of being the youngest person ever to be appointed to a sub-Cabinet post in the U.S. government. President Reagan appointed him to the Commission on White House Fellowships. Mr. Kilberg served as Co-Chair of the National Finance Committee and Chair of the Policy Committee on Labor for the Romney for President Campaign. Mr. Kilberg is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He previously served as president of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and on the Boards of the Potomac School and the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board.
Mr. Kilberg and his wife, Bobbie Greene Kilberg, the retired president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, generously support the Minerva Center for Human Rights at the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Law, where he serves on the Center’s United States Advisory Board. The Kilberg’s philanthropy in support of the Hebrew University was recognized at their Wall of Life Dedication during the HU Board of Governors.
About the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel’s leading academic and research institution. Serving 24,000 students from 80 countries, it produces a third of Israel’s civilian research and is ranked 12th worldwide in biotechnology patent filings and commercial development. Faculty and alumni of the Hebrew University have won eight Nobel Prizes and a Fields Medal. For more information about the Hebrew University, please visit http://new.huji.ac.il/en.
