LEARN ABOUT THE HALLE FOUNDATION

About Mr. Halle

Claus Halle was an international business executive and philanthropist. Born in Schwelm, Germany in 1927, Mr. Halle was conscripted as a young teen into the German army during the latter part of World War II and surrendered to the American forces in 1945. Following his release, he began a remarkable career with The Coca-Cola Company as a truck deliveryman in Essen, Germany. Over the next 45 years, he rose to the most senior ranks of the company, including service as President of Coca-Cola Germany, President of Coca-Cola Europe and, ultimately, Senior Executive Vice President of The Coca-Cola Company and President of Coca-Cola International. He lived most of his adult life in the United States in Atlanta, Georgia.

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As a citizen of both the United States and Germany, Mr. Halle came to believe that, in his words, “[t]here is nothing more important for peace and prosperity in our hemisphere than the friendship between the United States and Germany.” Following his retirement, he devoted himself tirelessly to numerous philanthropic organizations and causes that he believed strengthened the relationship between the two countries. He served as a trustee of The Carter Center, the Woodruff Arts Center, the Southern Center for International Studies, the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, the Wittenberg Center for Global Ethics, the German American Chamber of Commerce, Friends of Goethe, and the International University Bremen. He was a member of the Council of Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. and the Rotary Club of Atlanta. Mr. Halle was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2000, Mr. Halle was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters by Emory University, and in 2001 he was honored as the Georgia Philanthropist of the Year.

Mr. Halle devoted enormous energy and resources to promoting international awareness and cooperation. His work in the field of international philanthropy sought to encourage Americans to learn more about the views and ways of thinking of others and to become global as well as national citizens. He actively brought together people from around the world, from students to statesmen, in his own home to engage them in his philosophy. His philanthropic reach was national and global. He was a man of broad vision, quick intellect, charm, wit, and deep international understanding.

In 1995, Mr. Halle gave a speech to the Rotary Club of Atlanta at an event celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of VE day. In it, he detailed his experiences during World War II, including his harrowing escape from the advancing Soviet Army in 1945, in which he swam across the icy Elbe River to surrender to American forces. His wartime experiences, including his humane treatment by the American army, as well as the key American role in the post-war reconstruction of Germany, led him to conclude that the relationship between Germany and the United Stated was of utmost importance for the peace and prosperity of the world, and inspired him to found The Halle Foundation The full speech can be found here.

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About the Foundation

In 1986, Mr. Halle created The Halle Foundation as a vehicle for supporting and strengthening the relationship between the United States and Germany for the long term.

Since Mr. Halle’s death in 2004, the Foundation has operated as an independent, grantmaking charity that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is classified by the Internal Revenue Service as a public charity described in section 509(a)(3) of the Code. The Foundation headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it is governed by a four-member board of trustees and managed by a full-time executive director.

The mission of The Halle Foundation is to promote understanding, knowledge, and friendship between the people of Germany, as seen in its European context, and those of the United States. In furtherance of this mission, the Foundation supports, primarily through grantmaking, initiatives and activities in the fields of education, culture, science, technology, language, scholarship, and international relations. The Foundation makes grants to organizations organized and operated in both the United States and Germany. Funding is largely limited to US-based public charities exempt under section 501(c)(3) and to German organizations which are the tax equivalent of such charities. In keeping with the founder’s preference, most U.S. grants are made to organizations and institutions operating within, or with some discernable connection to, the state of Georgia.

Trustees and Staff

A native of Germany, Dr. Jordan moved to Atlanta in 1978 to establish and direct the southeastern chapter of the German-American Chamber of Commerce. For over three decades he has worked as an international business management consultant and executive recruiter. From 2004 to 2009, Dr. Jordan served as the Chairman of the board of directors of the German American Chamber of Commerce for the Southern US. He is a long-time member of the board of directors of the German Cultural Center and the German American Cultural Foundation. Dr. Jordan is also a co-founder, former President, and honorary board member of the German School of Atlanta.

Dr. Magee is retired from Emory University where she held numerous posts during her forty years of service. During her tenure at the University, she served as a Professor, Dean, Director of the University’s Rose Library, Vice President, and Secretary of the University.

Dr. Christoph Ehland, based in Germany, is the Chair of English Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Paderborn. Beyond pursuing an academic interest in the United States, he additionally serves on the university’s committee for internationalization and has been instrumental in establishing new partnership programs with universities in Europe, Asia and the United States. Among the programs he holds responsibility for, universities in the American
Southeast and the Atlanta area represent the focal point.

Juergen Gentzke is Vice President for Transatlantic Development for Kuehne + Nagel, one of the world’s oldest and largest logistics companies. Mr. Gentzke has served in leadership positions with a number of nonprofit organizations, including the German American Cultural Foundation and the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. McCalley is a practicing lawyer in Atlanta who has worked both in private practice (Alston & Bird) and in several inhouse positions, including with The Coca-Cola Company in its European operations, including with Coca-Cola Germany. He was also a Foreign Service Officer where amongst other postings he served at the American Embassy in Bonn. Before attending law school, Mr. McCalley was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Bonn.

Mr. Sanders became the Executive Director of the Foundation in January 2020. Prior to joining the Foundation, he practiced law with the Atlanta law firms of King & Spalding and Alston & Bird. Mr. Sanders has also held a number of positions in government and politics, including service as a naval intelligence officer, as executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party, and in staff positions in the US Senate and in local government.

Mr. Howrey began working at the Foundation in May of 2023 as a program officer. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in German Studies and International Affairs. He also studied Political Science at LMU Munich and worked as a research assistant with the American Studies department for one year. Before attending UGA, he lived in Germany as a youth ambassador as part of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange.