20/05/2026
On May 14th, our President, Costis Frangoulis, was honored with the inaugural Samuel Gridley Howe Award for Greek-American Friendship and Cooperation by the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Piraeus.
The award was presented in recognition of his distinguished career in the maritime sector as Founder and Head of Franman, as well as his longstanding contribution to strengthening Greece–U.S. relations through his role as President of the Propeller Club, Port of Piraeus, and International President of the organization.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the diplomatic, academic, maritime, and business communities, including U.S. Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Ju-seong Lim, and the President of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, George Alexandratos, among other distinguished guests.
Opening remarks were delivered by the Rector of the University, Professor Michalis Sfakianakis, the Dean of the Department, Professor Aris Tziampiris, and the Vice Chair, Professor Fotini Asderaki, while Ambassador Guilfoyle also addressed the audience with particularly warm remarks about our President.
One of the most emotional moments of the evening was the tribute video dedicated to Mr. Frangoulis, featuring messages from U.S. Ambassadors Geoffrey Pyatt, George Tsunis, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, as well as Maritime Historian and Author George Foustanos and Brand Strategist Peter Economides.
In his remarks, our President spoke about the historic ties between Greece and the United States, the role of the maritime community in strengthening bilateral relations, and the contribution of our Club to Greek-American friendship and cooperation since 1935. He also noted:
“I honestly feel that this award does not belong to me alone. It belongs to the Club, to all past Presidents, to our former and current Governors, and of course to our Members. The Propeller was the vehicle that brought me here tonight.”
