每年，澳门大学堪萨斯分校校友会都会举办颁奖典礼，表彰杰出校友的成就。 威尼斯人娱乐城将向爱德曼家族颁发2020年遗产奖。
The Edelman Family’s 威尼斯人娱乐城 legacy began when 12-year-old Doris Tager fled Nazi Germany in 1938. 在到达堪萨斯城之前，她的家人去了荷兰和古巴，当地的犹太社区赞助了他们的旅行。 She’d go on to attend Kansas City University (now 威尼斯人娱乐城) and graduate in 1947 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and economics. That same year, Doris met her future husband, 威廉·埃德尔曼, a fellow Roo who would graduate in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
多丽丝是一名成功的股票经纪人，也是不列颠哥伦比亚省克里斯托弗公司的第一位女性副总裁和合伙人，她在那里工作了20多年。 在2001年退休之前，威廉在堪萨斯城的心脏地带作为一名家庭医生为病人服务了50多年。
Their oldest son, Mark (J.D. ’75), founded the Theater League, Inc., a not-for-profit community-based performing arts organization that presented the best of Broadway to Kansas City audiences for 42 years.
Youngest son Ron (J.D. ’82) opened one of the region’s most successful law practices — Edelman and Thompson — with James Thompson in 1994.
Middle son Alan and his wife, Debbie Sosland-Edelman, great supporters of 威尼斯人娱乐城, also connect with the university through their son Alexander (J.D. ’12). He started his own firm with two other 威尼斯人娱乐城 alumni and was recognized by the National LGBT Bar Association as one of the “40 Best Attorneys Under 40.”
我们与马克、罗恩和亚历山大聊了聊他们的职业道路。
马克埃德尔曼
马克埃德尔曼
不是每个人都会把戏剧和法律学位联系起来。 当你开始在威尼斯人娱乐城学习的时候，你是否已经计划将你的法律学位用于戏剧？
我希望成为一名娱乐律师，并在纽约纽约市律师协会（Bar Association of the City of the New York）的一个办公室做志愿者（或许更恰当的说法是“闲逛”），该协会为艺术家提供服务。 毕业后，我学习纽约律师考试； 但我得到了一份管理费城郊区巴克斯县剧院的工作。 他们对我有法律学位印象深刻。
在你的职业生涯中，你遇到了一些名人。 你记忆中有什么难忘的经历吗？
My first presentation in Kansas City—while I was still in law school—involved a student activities-funded presentation of an off-Broadway show called LEMMINGS. After the show, the cast came to my apartment at 44th and Walnut, where my neighbors joined me in welcoming them. 其中三位演员是切维·蔡斯、约翰·贝鲁西和克里斯托弗·盖斯特。 第二年，他们都在主持或撰写《周六夜现场》。
留下遗产对你来说意味着什么？ 与家人分享这个奖项的感觉如何？
虽然我的兄弟Ron和侄子Alex继续代表他们的客户取得了巨大的进步，但我最自豪的是与我的家人分享这一点，他们不得不面对偏见和近乎贫困才能在KCU取得成功。 我母亲和她的家人逃离了纳粹德国，先去了古巴，然后去了堪萨斯城。 我父亲在其他地方的研究生院面临反犹太主义，但在堪萨斯城找到了一个更友好、更包容的环境。
罗恩·埃德尔曼
罗恩·埃德尔曼
You’ve been nationally recognized as a top workers’ compensation lawyer. Why is representing personal injury and workers’ compensation cases important to you?
An injury on the job, or an injury caused by the fault of another party, can be financially and emotionally devastating for the victim and their family. To be able to help people in their time of need by making sure that all the bills are [covered], and that they and their family are compensated for their losses, is extremely satisfying.
What advice do you have for students who’d like to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t listen to anyone else’s advice, including mine. That said, “Follow your heart (and your head).”
亚历山大·埃德尔曼
亚历山大·埃德尔曼
你最自豪的成就是什么？
我最自豪的成就是帮助创立爱德曼律师事务所（Edelman, Liesen & Myers， L.L.P.）。 在短短几年内，我们建立了一个为个人权利而战的实践，特别是在就业和公共场所，并帮助那些受到歧视或虐待的人伸张正义。 The firm has continued to grow, and we are able to help even more people, and we’ve been able to help shape the law in a way that clarifies and protects the legal rights of individuals.
你被评为40岁以下40位最佳LGBT律师之一。 在40岁之前就取得了这样的成功，你有什么感觉？
获得全国LGBT律师协会的认可是一个巨大的荣誉。 我很自豪能够代表LGBT群体，既作为这个群体的一员，又为这个群体的客户服务。 我非常幸运地找到了同样热衷于维护LGBT人群和其他人权利的伙伴，因此有机会在我职业生涯的早期就从事这种工作。
威尼斯人娱乐城对你的成功有何贡献？
Most directly, 威尼斯人娱乐城 is where I met my classmates, Sarah Liesen (J.D. ’12) and Katherine Myers (J.D. ’12), who became my law partners, and without whom I could not have had any of the professional success I have achieved. 它还为个人和小型公司提供孵化器，这是我们起步的地方。
关于校友奖
Join us in honoring the Edelman Family and the other 2020届获奖者 in our first-ever virtual celebration at 5 p.m. 4月16日。 Go to umkcalumni.com/alumniawards to register for this free event. If you are unable to attend the event but would like to donate to student scholarships, 捐款可以在网上进行.