Friends Honor the Memory of NDI Board Member Gene Eidenberg for His Abiding Commitment to Democracy

NDI honored Gene Eidenberg, a longtime friend and member of its Board of Directors for nearly a quarter century, at a memorial event held Feb. 1 at the Decatur House in Washington, DC. He died in December.

“Gene had a deep and abiding commitment to democracy and to democratic politics – that people everywhere deserved a political voice no less than food and shelter,” said NDI President Kenneth Wollack, one of a number of speakers who reflected on different aspects of Mr. Eidenberg’s life.

“For Gene, political and economic progress were intertwined and mutually reinforcing,” Wollack said. “But he not only espoused lofty principles – he cared deeply about individuals who sacrificed – often their livelihoods and sometimes their lives for those principles.”

NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright, in a letter to Mr. Eidenberg’s wife and daughters, said, “Gene's passion for democratic politics was evident during the Carter Administration, when we first met, but that passion did not stop at the water's edge. He believed deeply in a common humanity -- that people everywhere wanted and deserved the same fundamental human and political rights…

“For NDI, he helped shape our global mission. We all benefitted, as did our partners overseas, from his integrity, wisdom and compassion. Gene not only thought about big issues, such as the theories and practices of democracy. He cared genuinely about the hopes, aspirations and struggles of ordinary citizens.”

Mr. Eidenberg earned his BA, MA and PhD in political science, later serving during the Carter Administration as undersecretary at the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and as secretary of the cabinet and assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs. Immediately following his White House assignment he was appointed executive director of the Democratic National Committee. His extensive business experience included 12 years with MCI where he served as the corporation’s executive vice president.

“Everyone at NDI has a story about Gene,” Wollack said. “Yet they all have a common thread. Gene was bigger than life, passionate about what we do, deeply committed to people and causes…and he possessed a great, sometimes wicked sense of humor.”

Contributions to NDI in memory of Gene Eidenberg name can be made through the NDI website by clicking here.