Kissinger Center Marks 100th Anniversary of Giovanni Agnelli’s Birth

The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs is honored to mark the 100th anniversary of L'Avvocato Giovanni “Gianni” Agnelli’s birth. While his extraordinary success in business is well known, Mr. Agnelli made equally important contributions to transatlantic relations and European unity. Long considered Italy’s unofficial ambassador to the United States, Mr. Agnelli built strong political and business connections in the United States as the founder of Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat. He became a close friend of Dr. Henry A. Kissinger and continued to exert his influence, notably reassuring the State Department of Italy’s foreign policy after the Italian Communist Party’s success in the 1976 election. Mr. Agnelli remained influential in foreign policy, and a close friend of Dr. Kissinger, until the end of his life in 2003. 

 

In October 2016, Mr. Agnelli’s grandson, John Elkann, and the Agnelli family made a generous gift to Johns Hopkins University as founding donor of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs. This transformational contribution established the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professorship, honoring Mr. Agnelli’s vision of prompting peace, security, and transatlantic relations. The Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professorship is proudly held by the Kissinger Center’s inaugural director, Professor Francis J. Gavin. 

 

Professor Gavin, the Kissinger Center, and Johns Hopkins University are indebted to John Elkann and the Agnelli family for their generosity and are honored to pay tribute to L'Avvocato Giovanni “Gianni” Agnelli on the 100th anniversary of his birth.