Category: News

Luo Erchun 1929-2015

“It is with great sorrow we acknowledge the passing of our wonderful friend and master of color in his works of contemporary Chinese oil painting;
Luo Erchun was not only a master oil painter but a very special and good friend to us.  He will be sadly missed. We’re lucky to be comforted by five of his wonderful works of art included in The Hefner Collection.”

-Robert and MeiLi Hefner

On Tuesday, October 2, Hefner and his wife, MeiLi, visited The Webb Schools for a full day of classroom visits and a special convocation for students and faculty. The Hefners first attended Honors Biology class where students were learning about natural selection and conducting a lab on the same subject. Next, they participated in an in-class debate on the issue of fracking and natural gas extraction with John Lawrence’s AP Environmental Science class.

Robert Hefner has a long and distinguished career in natural gas exploration and helping shape energy policies of the United States. His recent documentary, “The Grand Energy Transition,” was shown to the Webb community and followed by a round-table discussion during a recent formal dinner on campus.

Under a backdrop of Ray Alf’s portrait, Hefner’s mentor at Webb, he spoke and then took questions from the Webb community. Hefner was warmly received by the students and faculty who gathered, evidenced by their engaging questions on the subject of the future of America’s energy production and technological advancement in natural gas extraction.

Taylor Stockdale introduced Robert Hefner with the following: “I think it was back in 1995, one of the first peccary dinners we ever had. I looked up on the stage and saw four of the great educators here at Webb. I saw Malcolm McKenna, Ray Alf, Dr. Lofgren, and Robert Hefner. Robert, you stood there and honored your mentor, Ray Alf, on his 90th birthday that night, by recalling that he had taught you to think differently at the age of fifteen; that he had taught you to look at your role in the world differently, and that at that moment he had a lasting effect on your life. I remember Ray’s response to you was to say that he learned as much from his students as they learned from him. That’s the true essence of the Webb experience, for me. We have great students and teachers living and working alongside each other, and that’s the power of mentorship that we should think about tonight when Mr. Hefner speaks.”

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Robert and MeiLi Hefner’s “Kings of Freedom” Berlin Wall sections are accompanied by a restaurant/café “WaWawa”, located close to the Wall at Singapore’s Bedok Reservoir Park. The wall is on loan to Singapore by Robert and MeiLi Hefner and was unveiled to the public on January 10, 2010.  There were over 200 guests present at the unveiling including George Yeo, Singapore’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lim Hwee Hua – former Minister in the Prime Minister’s office – and government officials from the German Embassy.  The wall serves as a backdrop for creative activities and community gatherings that has establish the Wall as an inspirational and historical icon.
The Wall and “WaWawa” are located in the sculpture garden area of the park. The architectural design of the restaurant / café reflects the theme of the falling of the Berlin Wall by incorporating two slanted walls to the structure, symbolizing the reunification of Germany. The slanted walls will be filled with plants so that the café can be integrated to the surrounding area. “WaWawa” will feature a full menu of moderately priced “comfort” food influenced by German cooking traditions.  
The panels are housed in a 1,400 sq meter glass enclosure in the eastern part of Bedok Reservoir Park.  Painted on the side of the Wall, which once faced West Berlin, the murals depict a bright and joyful king representing freedom and a colorless, blindfolded king who is oblivious to the wishes of his people.  The side of the Wall which faced East Berlin remained unpainted. 

Cambridge, MA — The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is pleased to announce the establishment of the James R. Schlesinger Professorship of Energy, National Security, and Foreign Policy, an endowed professorship honoring one of the most accomplished public servants of our time. The professorship, which was funded by Schlesinger friends and admirers from around the world, including a generous gift from MeiLi and Robert A. Hefner III, will focus on contemporary policy issues, with an emphasis on foreign policy, defense, strategy, energy, and intelligence.

Schlesinger, a Harvard alumnus (AB 1950, AM 1952, PhD 1956) who helped shape American security policies for more than four decades, served the United States as secretary of defense, secretary of energy, director of Central Intelligence and chair of the Atomic Energy Commission. Since leaving his cabinet-level positions, he continues to answer the call of public service, most recently chairing the Commission to Investigate the Department of Defense’s Treatment of Detainees and vice chairing the Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. At Harvard, Schlesinger served on the Board of Overseers and chaired its visiting committees to both Harvard Kennedy School and the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. He also serves as chair of the International Council at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

“Jim Schlesinger is a monumental figure in American foreign and energy policy,” says David T. Ellwood, dean and Scott M. Black Professor of Political Economy, Harvard Kennedy School. “Harvard is honored that his friends have chosen to recognize his considerable impact on American foreign and energy policy through this professorship.”

“Jim Schlesinger has been a great son of Harvard and a great inspiration for those of us who have had the honor to work with him,” says Graham Allison, director of the Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Douglas Dillon Professor of Government. “Who could better symbolize ‘energy and national security’ than the first secretary of energy and one of two people ever to serve as both director of CIA and secretary of defense?”

Robert A. Hefner III, who is a member of the Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs’ International Council, says, “Jim’s brilliant career in energy, national security, and foreign policy has given him unique insight into the truth that one cannot effectively deal with one of these areas in isolation and without full understanding of the other two.” He and his wife, MeiLi, were the lead contributors to the professorship because they believe, “It is abundantly fitting that this professorship holds his prestigious name.”

Harvard Kennedy School maintains an abiding commitment to advancing the public interest by training skilled, enlightened leaders and solving public problems through world-class scholarship and active engagement with practitioners and decision makers. The School offers the depth, reflection, insight, and excellence of ideas and teaching that can shape future leaders, affect public policies, and make an impact on people and their daily lives.

Robert and MeiLi Hefner have agreed to loan their four sections of the Berlin Wall to Singapore “Kings of Freedom”. The wall is on display at Bedok Reservoir. The Hefners, alongside Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs George Yeo, believe that the park at Bedok Reservoir will serve as a backdrop for creative activities and community gatherings while establishing the wall as more than a mere park sculpture, but as an inspirational and historical icon.

The winning team of the Kings of Freedom Design Competition – Sim Jie Han, Yuen Yu Fen and Ou Ying-Jun – participated in the installation. “Kings of Freedom” murals painted on the Berlin Wall sections by West German graffiti artist Dennis Kaun inspired the title for the design competition and project. Painted on the West side of the Wall, the murals depict a bright and joyful king representing freedom and a colorless, blindfolded king who is oblivious to the wishes of his people. The Hefners know that the art installation will highlight the importance of tolerance and understanding within society.

From Article in the Strait Times, November 18, 2007
by Huang Lijie
“In something of a coup for Singaporean history buffs and art lovers, a part of the Berlin Wall – a symbol of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the West, and which was torn down 18 years ago this month – is to be displayed at the sleepy environs of Bedok Reservoir. The four, 4m-high sections are of historical significance, but are also intended to be an art installation. The pieces – currently in Oklahoma City in the United States – would not be unveiled here until two years later, but meanwhile two competitions are being planned in which members of the public can submit designs for how the Wall installation will be displayed.  The pieces have been donated for long-time loan by two art collectors – American oil industry veteran Robert A. Hefner III and his Singapore-born wife.”
Courtesy of the Strait Times Read the full article

by Robert A. Hefner, July 16, 2007
As we all know, Asian art sales are booming and prices have skyrocketed. At Christie’s May 27, 2007, Hong Kong sale Wu Guanzhong set a new record for his 1973 oil painting Scenery of Northern China, selling for $4.1 million USD. Although Wu Guanzhong’s works have skyrocketed from a few hundred thousand into the millions, it is my thought that prices for his art have a long way to go. 2007 has set new records in the world of oil painting and the market is only recently becoming a global market. I personally rank Wu Guanzhong with such outstanding artists of the 20th Century as Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, Rothko and Warhol. As matter of fact, I would put him toward the top of that list. So, with these artists selling anywhere from $25 million to the potential of $100 million for a painting, it seems likely that Wu Guanzhong will continue to have market appreciation.

MeiLi & Robert A Hefner III are pleased to welcome two new Hefner Fellows, Yin Shuming from China, and Willow Darsie from the USA. They will be attending the one-year Master of Public Administration program, August 2007-July 2008 at the LKY SPP in Singapore sponsored by the Hefner Scholarship.

Yin Shuming, born in Hubei, is currently the First Secretary, Deputy Chief of Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, based in Beijing. He was awarded “Top civil servant of the year” both in 1994 and 2002. He was based in Lhasa, Tibet, China as Deputy Chief of Division in the Office of Foreign Affairs for 3 years. The most significant contribution during his career is the mission of leading a joint recovery of unearthing the remains of US pilots who died on Hump route during WWII. He headed a joint team of 40 officers from Tibet, China and USA, working at the crash site for nearly a month and collected 108 pieces of human belongings, and handed them back to the US government – a mission which greatly enhanced the friendship between the people of China and the US. His thoughts on the MPA programme are: “to enrich my knowledge structure and study theories of public administration.”

Willow Darsie, born in Boulder, Colorado, is currently the Deputy Director of the Aspen Strategy Group, based in Washington, DC. Willow has overseen projects on issues such as China’s rise, Russian political developments, non-proliferation, and tsunami recovery in Asia, often engaging with U.S. administration officials and Members of Congress. She was also responsible for overseeing an ongoing Track II Diplomacy initiative between the U.S. and India. Willow is a member of the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ “Project on the Successor Generation for U.S Foreign Policy and Security Policy” and has been active in the UN Association of the National Capital Area. A former White House intern, she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University with an Honors B.A. in international relations and Latin American studies.