At the time of his death in November 2000, Mr. Mortara was president and chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs Ventures.

As an alumnus, Mortara served on the University's Board of Directors, recruited Georgetown students to Goldman Sachs, and encouraged the firm to support a variety of projects on campus.

Opened in September 2005, the building features a conference room with audio-visual technology (including VTC) utilized for classes and events, office facilities for School of Foreign Service faculty, and Georgetown's Center for Security Studies.

The prize was created in honor of Joseph S. Lepgold, a Georgetown University Government and School of Foreign Service professor who died in December 2001.

[5] The $1,000 prize honors exceptional contributions to the study of international relations, with specific emphasis on the resolution of critical policy challenges.

Past speakers have included Lawrence Summers, Samuel P. Huntington, John Ruggie, Robert Rubin, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and Russell Feingold.