The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce awarded the Josiah Marvel Cup Award to philanthropists, Gerret and Tatiana Copeland on Monday night.
The award was presented at the Chamber’s 183rd Annual Dinner. The event, held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, attracted more than 1,000 business leaders, elected officials and dignitaries.
Recipients of the Marvel Cup are kept secret until the night of the dinner. Established in 1951, the Marvel Cup honors a Delawarean or Delawareans who make an outstanding contribution to the state. and community.
The State Chamber’s highest honor is named in memory of the Josiah Marvel, who reorganized and served as the first president of the State Chamber in 1913. Marvel was also instrumental in Delaware become an incorporation and corporate law capital.
Gerret, a member of the du Pont family, started his career in finance where he developed a New York Stock Exchange brokerage firm. He also helped establish the Brandywine Conservancy in Chadds Ford, PA. Gerret is active with Longwood Gardens, The Mount Cuba Center for Piedmont Flora, and serves as chairman of the Delaware Art Museum.
After earning a bachelor’s degree at UCLA and her MBA at the University of California at Berkeley, Tatiana went to work for Price Waterhouse. She then worked at DuPont Company’s European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Soon after she returned to DuPont in Delaware. She serves on the board of The Grand Opera House and chaired the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.
Tatiana mentioned her life story, noting that she was both a legal and illegal alien who if caught might have been banished to Siberia. She expressed gratitude for the opportunities this nation offers.
The Copelands are involved with organizations that include Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art, Brandywine Valley SPCA, ChristianaCare, Delaware Art Museum, Delaware College of Art and Design, Delaware Historical Society, Delaware Humane Association, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Delaware Theatre Company, Fund for Women at the Delaware Community Foundation, Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay, the Grand Opera House, Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, Longwood Foundation, Longwood Gardens, Mt. Cuba Center for Piedmont Flora, OperaDelaware, and the University of Delaware.
