Tenzin Tethong

Tenzin Namgyal Tethong is a special case where he is of aristocratic descent from the area called Tashi Thongmon, which is abbreviated as Te-Thong.

His father was a teacher, and because of a shortage of anyone with knowledge of languages other than Tibetan, Tenzin Tethong and his older brother helped out in many ways.

He also worked actively with Stanford scientists and scholars to organize two visits by the Dalai Lama which became important dialogues between Buddhism and Science.

Currently, Tenzin Tethong, a Distinguished Fellow at the Tibetan Studies Initiative, Stanford University (a program he played a key role in establishing) is the President of the Dalai Lama Foundation, and Board Chair of the Committee of 100 for Tibet.

In addition to serving as an advisor to the local Tibetan Community Center project, he is co-founder of the Missing Peace art exhibit and recently launched "Tibet in Exile-Fifty Years", an online documentation effort to commemorate the last fifty years in exile of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people.

Tenzin Namgyal Tethong, Lobsang Sangay , and Tashi Wangdi (left to right) – face off in Washington, D.C. for an internationally televised election debate for the Prime Minister or Kalon Tripa, March 1, 2011
Tenzin Gyatso , the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet on 16 April 1991 with President George H.W. Bush , Lodi Gyari and Tenzin Tethong