Art Director Leo Akira Yoshimura and USC’s Dr. Carol Folt
set to receive awards at the organization’s upcoming National Convention.
By JACL National
SAN FRANCISCO — JACL National is pleased to announce two national awards to be conferred during the 2025 National Convention in Albuquerque, N.M., set for July 17-20. The two awards to be presented are:
- President’s Lifetime Achievement Award to visionary art director Leo Akira Yoshimura
- Robert Emmett Fletcher Jr. Humanitarian Award to Dr. Carol Folt.
Both recipients will be honored at the organization’s Sayonara Gala, which will conclude JACL’s annual convention on the evening of July 19. These awards are given to select individuals to recognize their contributions not only to the Japanese American community but also the advancement of their fields for the betterment of all people.
The JACL National Board confers these awards with consultation from other leaders in the Japanese American community and past JACL leaders. JACL applauds both awardees for their accomplishments and looks forward to recognizing them at the convention this month.
PRESIDENT’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: LEO AKIRA YOSHIMURA
The JACL President’s Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual in recognition of outstanding national leadership in promoting civil and human rights and/or representing the Japanese American community over their lifetime.
Leo Akira Yoshimura is a second-generation Japanese American born and raised in Chicago as one of 11 children. Growing up, his mom urged assimilation. “Wear clothes that do not bring attention.” “Do not ruffle feathers.” “Even if your teachers are wrong, do not disagree with them.” “Go unnoticed.” “You must be more than the SAME so that you can never be sent to Manzanar again.”
Yoshimura refused to be the SAME, refused to be INVINCIBLE — but it came with a price. Growing up, he was described as “that Jap,” but deciding NOT to be invisible had positive results. He attended Loyola University, joining theater group, where he designed and built scenery — the first Japanese American to do so.
He then went on to study scenic design at the Yale School of Drama, the first Japanese American to be admitted to the prestigious design program; he received an MFA in 1971. From New Haven, Conn., Yoshimura moved to New York and worked as a design assistant for both opera and Broadway.
In 1975, in a career-defining decision, and despite a self-described lack of sense of humor, he accepted a position as an art director for a new TV show, “Saturday Night Live,” which was another first for a Japanese American.
This past year, Yoshimura celebrated his 50th season designing for “SNL.” Over that time, he has received 13 Emmy Award nominations, won seven times, and also received seven Art Directors Guild Awards. He continues his studies at the Art Students League of New York.
Throughout the past 50 years, Yoshimura has been acutely aware of his status as “that Jap.” He is proud of his professional accomplishments and, indeed, of being first in his chosen field. He attributes his success to always finding a way to say “yes” and takes intense pleasure in being able to say “he’s done his work,” both as a designer and as a Japanese American.
ROBERT EMMETT FLETCHER JR. HUMANITARIAN AWARD: DR. CAROL FOLT
The Robert Emmett Fletcher Jr. Humanitarian Award seeks to honor individuals who have demonstrated exceptional courage and compassion by taking selfless actions to support Japanese Americans, particularly in times of injustice. Named after Robert Emmett Fletcher Jr., a white agricultural inspector who courageously stood by Japanese American families during their forced incarceration in World War II, the award will recognize individuals from outside the Japanese American community who have made a significant impact in advocating for justice, equity and humanity.
Dr. Carol Folt serves as the 12th president of the University of Southern California and holds the Robert C. Packard President’s Chair.
Known for always placing students at the center, she is a collaborative academic leader and an internationally recognized life scientist with faculty appointments in biological sciences, civil and environmental engineering and population and public health sciences.
Since joining USC in 2019, Dr. Folt has advanced academic excellence and innovation; increased accessibility and affordability; elevated belonging and inclusion; driven significant growth in the USC Health System; made meaningful advancements in sustainability; prioritized shared governance; enhanced USC’s winning legacy in athletics with honor and integrity; increased cross-school collaboration; built a new Capital Campus in the heart of Washington D.C., expanding USC’s role within the national conversation; amplified USC’s research enterprise; and established USC’s most comprehensive academic and research initiative, embedding ethics, analytics and artificial intelligence across the university’s scholarly and creative work.
Dr. Folt serves as past chair of the Association of American Universities board of directors and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2024.
Prior to USC, Dr. Folt served as chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill and held several leadership appointments at Dartmouth College, including interim president, provost, dean of faculty and Dartmouth Professor of Biological Sciences.
She also is a distinguished scientist whose pioneering research on the effects of dietary mercury and arsenic on human and ecosystem health led to numerous national and global policy changes and consumption advisories.
Dr. Folt earned her bachelor’s degree in aquatic biology and a master’s degree in biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her doctorate in ecology from the University of California, Davis.
Under her leadership, in 2022, the University of Southern California finally conferred degrees to 33 Nisei who were denied their college degrees because of their forced incarceration during World War II as a result of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. A rock garden on USC’s campus was also dedicated in honor of those Nisei who were forcibly removed and denied their education. (To read more about Folt’s involvement in awarding the posthumous honorary degrees to the families of USC’s WWII-era Japanese American students, see the April 15, 2022, issue of the Pacific Citizen at https://tinyurl.com/4w4x8vck.)
The 2025 JACL National Convention will be held from July 17-20 in Albuquerque, N.M. Based at the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, JACL will host a series of workshops, plenaries and film screenings for attendees and community members.
This year’s theme, “Voices in Unity,” builds upon the plethora of stories that come from New Mexico, whether it be Japanese Americans incarcerated at Santa Fe, Native peoples who served as Codetalkers in WWII or the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project. It also comes from the multitude of stories within the Japanese American community and broader civil rights community.
To register for the convention or purchase tickets to specific events, including the Sayonara Gala, please visit: https://jacl.org/2025-national-convention. Full registration or Sayonara Gala tickets must be purchased no later than July 9.
