The 63rd Annual Quadrille Ball

The 63^rd Annual Quadrille Ball, a white tie charity event took place at 583 Park Avenue in New York City. This unique and exquisite gala showcased once more an elegant night where guests enjoyed a cocktail reception and a three-course dinner followed by dancing and the premier highlight of the evening – the Quadrille performance.  

The annual ball is a fundraiser for scholarships awarded to highly qualified students enrolled at U.S. or German universities. The Quadrille was founded decades ago to enhance and strengthen transatlantic relationships through education and exchange. Through its non-profit parent organization, the Germanistic Society of America, the Quadrille supports undergraduate, Master and PhD students. 

The stipends awarded by the 501(c)3 non-profit organization offer students the opportunity to study and conduct research across the Atlantic. Scholarship recipients are chosen in cooperation with highly regarded organizations: the Fulbright program, the Institute of International Education (IIE), and Columbia University. More than 700 students have benefited from the Germanistic Society of America’s support over the years.

The Quadrille is organized by volunteers to ensure that the tax-deductible contributions from sponsors, advertisers, donors, and ball guests benefit the stipend fund. This evening is only possible with the hundreds of  hours of their time, their skills, and boundless positive energy.

This year’s Ball welcomed Guest of  Honor Dr. Bernd Scheifele and his wife  Dr. Kornelie Schütz-Scheifele in addition to friends including The Consul General of  Germany in New York, Mr. David Gill and his wife Ms. Sheila Shrivastava. The Ball also welcomed the Austrian Consul General Ms. Helene Steinhäusl and her husband Mr. Hubert Heiss, The acting Consul General of France M. Damien Laban and his wife Mme  Rebecca Laban,  among other guests.

The Quadrille Stipend Fund could not succeed without the continued and generous support of corporate sponsors, individual patrons, and other private donors. Financial and non-monetary donations help the Germanistic Society of America award its scholarships to outstanding students from the United States and Germany.  The Quadrille Ball would like to thank Sponsors including, The Mejean Family Foundation (Ful Scholarship Sponsor),  Microsoft,  The Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, The Max Kade Foundation and Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Shiva (Platinum Sponsors).

In addition, the Society would like to thank Diamond Sponsors for this year’s Quadrille Ball including Mrs. Lya and Mr. Joseph Pfeifer and Dr. William Radin as well as Benefactors including Mr. David Detjen, Dr. Barbara and Dr. Karl Elling,  Dr. Timothy DeZastro and Freiherr und Freifrau von Arnim.

Notable Attendees included: Dr. Bernd Scheifele (Guest of Honor) and  Dr. Kornelie Schütz-Scheifele, Mr. David Gill (Consul General of Germany in NY) and Ms. Sheila Shrivastava, Mr. Damien Laban (Consul General of France in NY) and Rebecca Laban, Ms. Helene Steinhäusl (Consul General of Austria in New York) and Mr. Hubert Heiss , Dr. Barbara Elling (President, Germanistic Society of America), Mrs. Lya Pfeifer (Treasurer, Germanistic Society of America), Ms. Irmintraud J. Jost (Ball Committee Co-Chair), Mr. Jean-Baptiste Kresser (Ball Committee Co-Chair), Mrs. Heide Herz (Ball Committee Honorary Chair), Mr. Ryan T. Smith (Ball Committee Vice Chair), Mr. Thorsten Schmidt (Ball Committee Vice Chair), Mr. Gordon Cooper (Ball Committee), Ms. Katherine Pfeiffer (Ball Committee), Mrs. Susanne von Türk (Ball Committee)and Mr. Philipp von Türk, Ms. Stephanie Heintzeler (Ball Committee), Mr. John Vricella (Ball Committee), Mr. Brian Hutchinson (Ball Committee), Dr. Zoran M. Budimlija (Ball Committee), Mr. Markus J. Hoecherl (Ball Committee), Mr. Jon Omahen (Ball Committee), Ms. Priya S. Nayar (Ball Committee), Ms. Bettina Lindner-Lippisch (Ball Committee), Dr. Kathrin DiPaola (Ball Committee), Mr. Christopher Adams (Junior Committee Co-Chair), Ms. Emma Sweeny (Junior Committee Co-Chair), Mr. Andrew Bevan (Alumni Committee Co-Chair), Mr. Conrad C. Steinmann, Jr. (Alumni Committee Co-Chair), Dr. William Radin and Ms. Olga Gold, Baron and Baroness von Arnim, Dr. Paul Trotta, Mr. David Chou, Ms. Christine Romulus, Dr. Claudine Holt, Ms. Bettina W. Bennett, Mr. Simon Liepold and Mrs. Arabelle Liepold, and Mr. Matthew Yokobosky.