Former Hill master, Thomas Ruth, retired from The Hill School in June of 2000 after 33 years of teaching history. A few months after his retirement, he joined the World Affairs Council in Philadelphia and the Foreign Policy Research Institute (Philadelphia). As a member of these esteemed organizations he has had many opportunities to attend conferences with prominent keynote speakers. Given that Tom has kept in close contact with many of his former students, he often graciously invites Hill alumni as his guests to these conferences.

On Tuesday, April 17, 2012, the World Affairs Council presented its International Statesman Award to the Right Honourable Tony Blair, former prime minister of Great Britain and envoy of the Quartet Representative to the Middle East. Tom and his guest, George Kirjanov ’83, were in attendance and had the opportunity to meet Tony Blair, as noted in the above photograph.