Greg Mortenson
{{Short description|American professional speaker, writer and former mountaineer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Greg Mortenson
| image = Greg Mortenson portrait.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Mortenson shown in 2005
| birth_date =
| birth_place = St. Cloud, Minnesota, U.S.{{cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/local/120170604.html|title=A fraud or a tempest in a teacup?|author=Curt Brown|newspaper=Star Tribune|access-date=February 6, 2014}}
| nationality = American
| alma_mater = University of South Dakota
| employer =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Professional speaker
- writer
- veteran
- mountaineer
}}
| spouse = Dr. Tara Bishop
| parents = Irvin and Dr. Jerene Mortenson
}}
Greg Mortenson is an American professional speaker, writer, veteran, and former mountaineer. He is a co-founder and former executive director of the non-profit Central Asia Institute and the founder of the educational charity Pennies for Peace.{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marissa-bronfman/greg-mortenson-inspires-b_b_420751.html|title=Greg Mortenson Inspires Branksome Hall to Raise $9,000 in Pennies for Peace Drive|author=Marissa Bronfman|work=Huffington Post|date=January 13, 2010|access-date=July 29, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://onpoint.wbur.org/2009/12/08/greg-mortenson-building-peace|title=Greg Mortenson on War and Peace|publisher=On Point with Tom Ashbrook|date=December 8, 2009|access-date=July 29, 2014}}
Mortenson is the co-author of The New York Times Bestseller Three Cups of Tea{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/books/review/InsideList-t.html?ref=books&_r=0|title=Inside the List|newspaper=New York Times|date=22 April 2011 |access-date=October 15, 2015|last1=Schuessler |first1=Jennifer }} and Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121801612.html|title=Book review: 'Stones into Schools' by Greg Mortenson|newspaper=Washington Post|author=Jay Mathews|author-link=Jay Mathews|date=December 20, 2009|access-date=July 3, 2015}}
Mortenson was accused of financial irregularities in handling donations to the CAI and falsehoods in his books. In 2012, Mortenson repaid $1 million to the CAI after an inquiry by the Montana Attorney General.{{Cite web |date=2017-05-20 |title=Questions over Greg Mortenson's stories - CBS News |website=CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/questions-over-greg-mortensons-stories-19-04-2011/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520193525/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/questions-over-greg-mortensons-stories-19-04-2011/ |archive-date=2017-05-20 }} The inquiry determined that he had improperly used over $6 million of the organization's funds; however, no criminal activity was discovered.{{Cite news |date=2012-04-06 |title=Three Cups of Tea author must pay $1m to his charity |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-17634694 |access-date=2024-06-12 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
Early life
Mortenson was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota. His parents, Irvin and Jerene, went with the Lutheran Church to Tanganyika (now Tanzania) in 1958 to be teachers at a girls' school in the Usambara mountains. In 1961, Irvin became a fundraiser and development director for the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center,{{cite web|url=http://www.kcmc.ac.tz|title=Karibu|publisher=Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre|access-date=February 6, 2014}} the first teaching hospital in Tanzania. Jerene was the founding principal of International School Moshi.{{cite web|url=http://www.ismoshi.org|title=Welcome to International School Moshi|publisher=International School Moshi|access-date=February 6, 2014}} Spending his early childhood and adolescence in Tanzania, Mortenson learned to speak fluent Swahili.{{cite web|url=http://www.goreads.me/three-cups-tea-greg-mortenson?page=0,16|title=Three Cups of Tea|publisher=Go Reads|access-date=February 6, 2014}}[http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/printmember/mor0bio-1 Academy of Achievement Living History Museum online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016153213/http://achievement.org/autodoc/printmember/mor0bio-1 |date=2011-10-16 }}[http://wingspan.lccc.wy.edu/issues/Mar11/Mortenson/gregMortenson.html Will Herbert, “Speaker to Promote Peace Through Education” Laramie County Community County Wingspan March 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110324061205/http://wingspan.lccc.wy.edu/issues/Mar11/Mortenson/gregMortenson.html |date=2011-03-24 }}; accessed December 9, 2016.
In the early 1970s, when he was 15 years old, Mortenson and his family left Tanzania and moved back to Minnesota. From 1973 to 1975, he attended Ramsey High School in Roseville, Minnesota, from which he graduated.{{cite web|url=http://www.usd.edu/press/news/news.cfm?nid=818|title=Over 1,000 Candidates to Receive Degrees During 2006 Spring Commencement at The U|publisher=University of South Dakota|access-date=February 6, 2014}}
After high school, Mortenson served in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1975 to 1977 and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/now/news/309.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309014214/http://www.pbs.org/now/news/309.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 9, 2007|title=Greg Mortenson on Building Schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan|publisher=PBS NOW|date=March 2, 2007|access-date=July 19, 2014|author=Hinojosa, Maria}} Following his discharge, he attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, from 1977 to 1979 on an athletic (football) scholarship.{{cite web|url=http://wwwp.cord.edu/dept/sports/sportsbackup/finn/ch8a78.html|title=Concordia Men's Sports - The First One Hundred Years|publisher=Concordia|access-date=February 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301125122/http://wwwp.cord.edu/dept/sports/sportsbackup/finn/ch8a78.html|archive-date=March 1, 2014|url-status=dead}}
In 1978, Concordia College's football team won the NAIA Division III national championship with a 7–0 win over Findlay, Ohio.{{cite web|url=http://concordiamn.prestosports.com/athleticTradition/championships|title=Championships|publisher=Concordia College|access-date=February 25, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.naiahonors.com/records/Football_ChampionshipRecords.pdf|title=Championship History|publisher=National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|access-date=February 25, 2014}} Mortenson graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies and an associate degree in nursing.
Humanitarian work and career
=Origins in K2=
Mortenson describes the origins of his humanitarian work in his best-selling book Three Cups of Tea. He states he traveled to northern Pakistan in 1993 to climb the world's second-highest mountain, K2, as a memorial to his sister, Christa. After more than 70 days on the mountain, located in the Karakoram range, Mortenson failed to reach the summit. Earlier, Mortenson and fellow climber Scott Darsney were also involved in a 75-hour life-saving rescue of another climber, Etienne Fine, which put them in a weakened state.{{cite web|url=http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1995_files/AJ%201995%2037-46%20Pratt%20K2.pdf|title=Against All Odds: Expeditions|publisher=The Alpine Journal|date=1995|access-date=June 30, 2014}} After the rescue, he descended the mountain and set out with a local Balti porter, Mouzafer Ali, to the nearest city.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
According to the account in Three Cups of Tea, Mortenson stated he took a wrong turn on the trail and ended up in the small village of Korphe. Physically exhausted, ill, and alone at the time of his arrival there, Mortenson was cared for by some of Korphe's residents while he recovered.[http://www.gregmortenson.com/Articles/FeaturedArticles/02-07-02NPR.html "Fresh Air"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080401074647/http://www.gregmortenson.com/Articles/FeaturedArticles/02-07-02NPR.html |date=2008-04-01 }}, with Terry Gross, National Public Radio (NPR), February 7, 2002Elizabeth Bumiller. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/world/asia/18tea.html "Unlikely Tutor Giving Military Afghan Advice"], The New York Times, July 17, 2010. As a gesture of gratitude to the community for their assistance to him, Mortenson said he would build a school for the village after he noticed local students attending school in an outdoor location and writing out their lessons in the dirt.
Mortenson has since admitted in a 2011 interview that the timing in the Korphe account in Three Cups of Tea is inaccurate, and that the events actually took place long after his descent from K2, over a longer period of time and during separate trips.{{cite news|date=April 18, 2011|title=Mortenson Concedes He Conflated Parts of Memoir|first=Stephanie|last=Strom|work=New York Times|url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/mortenson-concedes-he-conflated-parts-of-memoir}}{{cite news|title=Interview: Greg Mortenson Speaks|first=Alex|last=Heard|date=April 18, 2011|work=Outside|url=http://outsideonline.com/adventure/travel-ga-greg-mortenson-interview-sidwcmdev_155690.html|access-date=April 20, 2011|archive-date=April 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110420133932/http://outsideonline.com/adventure/travel-ga-greg-mortenson-interview-sidwcmdev_155690.html|url-status=dead}}
=Literacy in Central Asia=
File:Defense.gov photo essay 090715-N-0696M-323.jpg in Afghanistan in 2009]]
Mortenson has written and spoken widely about the importance of education and literacy for girls worldwide. He has further stated that girls' education is the most important investment all countries can make to create stability, bring socio-economic reform, decrease infant mortality and population explosion, and improve health, hygiene, and sanitation standards.[http://www.gregmortenson.com/Articles/FeaturedArticles/03-05-06%20Parade%20Article.pdf "Another Way to Stop Terrorism"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924023700/http://www.gregmortenson.com/Articles/FeaturedArticles/03-05-06%20Parade%20Article.pdf |date=2015-09-24 }}, Parade magazine, March 5, 2006. His view is that "fighting terrorism" perpetuates a cycle of violence whereas there should instead be a global priority to "promote peace" through education and literacy with an emphasis on educating girls.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}
Three Cups of Tea describes his travels in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province, including his escape from a 2003 firefight between Afghan opium warlords, his subjection to two fatwās by conservative Islamist clerics for educating girls, and his receiving hate mail and threats from fellow Americans for helping educate Muslim children.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/now/news/309-transcript.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218193734/http://www.pbs.org/now/news/309-transcript.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 18, 2007|title=Transcript: Greg Mortenson on Building Schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan|publisher=PBS NOW|access-date=February 8, 2014}}{{cite book|author1=Mortenson, Greg|author2=Relin, David Oliver|date=January 22, 2009|title=Three Cups of Tea: The Young Reader's Edition|isbn=978-0-8037-3392-3}}
According to op-ed columnist and Mortenson friend Nicholas D. Kristof,{{cite web|title=Kristof: 'Reserve Judgment' On 'Three Cups Of Tea' Author Mortenson|date=April 21, 2011|first=Mark |last=Memmott|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/04/21/135595686/kristof-reserve-judgment-on-three-cups-of-tea-author-mortenson|publisher=NPR.org}} the schools built by CAI have local support and have been able to avoid retribution by the Taliban and other groups opposed to girls' education because of community "buy-in", which involves getting villages to donate land, subsidized or free labor ("sweat equity"), wood and resources.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}
As of 2014, CAI reports it has established or significantly supported over 300 projects, including 191 schools,{{cite web|url=http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/news.php?url=3000-cups-of-tea_1396643715|title=Greg Mortenson's Saga Not Over Yet: ExWeb Interview with "3000 Cups of Tea" Producers|publisher=Explorers Web|date=April 15, 2014|access-date=July 19, 2014}} in rural and often volatile regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.{{cite web|url=http://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/masterprojectlist.pdf |title=Master Project List & Key |publisher=Central Asia Institute |access-date=February 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720045101/http://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/masterprojectlist.pdf |archive-date=July 20, 2014 }}
Central Asia Institute
File:GregMortensonKhandayPakistan2006-12-16USMC.jpg
After experiencing frustration in his efforts to raise money for the school, Mortenson persuaded Silicon Valley computer pioneer Jean Hoerni to fund the building of the Korphe school.Bill Romano, [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB7206EC5408A67&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Memorial Service Set Feb. 13 for Scientist Jean Hoerni, 72"], San Jose Mercury News, February 3, 1997.
Hoerni, who was critically ill at the time, formed the Central Asia Institute so that he and others could make tax-exempt donations to support Mortenson's work, and Mortenson became its first executive director. The mission of the non-profit organization is to promote education and literacy, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.{{cite web|url=http://www.stmartin.edu/whatsnew/MediaReleases/2010/20100423NoblePeacePrizeGregMortenson.aspx|title=Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greg Mortenson to speak at Saint Martin's University on May 13|publisher=Saint Martin's University|date=April 23, 2010|access-date=June 30, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127030444/http://stmartin.edu/whatsnew/MediaReleases/2010/20100423NoblePeacePrizeGregMortenson.aspx|archive-date=November 27, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/51-0376237/central-asia-institute.aspx|title=Mission Statement|publisher=GuideStar|access-date=June 30, 2014}}
From 2006 through 2011, Greg Mortenson promoted his book as well as fundraising and promoting girls' education through public speaking events at schools throughout the United States. Travel expenses for his speaking engagements were paid for by the Central Asia Institute through the end of 2010.[http://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/60minutesresponses.pdf Board of Directors, Central Asia Institute responds to 60 Minutes questions, April 16, 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429080321/http://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/60minutesresponses.pdf |date=April 29, 2011 }} Mortenson personally kept the money received in exchange for his service as a public speaker as well as royalties from the sale of his book. In 2009, the total cost of his book promotion, fundraising, and awareness building for girls education paid for by CAI amounted to $4.6 million.{{cite web |url=https://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/Financials/CAIAuditedFSFYE%209-30-09.pdf |title=Financial Report, 2009 |access-date=2011-04-21 |date=May 21, 2010 |publisher=Central Asia Institute |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720021724/https://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/Financials/CAIAuditedFSFYE%209-30-09.pdf |archive-date=July 20, 2011 }}
In April 2012, after a year-long investigation by the Montana attorney general, Mortenson agreed to repay $1 million to the CAI.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-17634694 |title=Three Cups author must repay charity $1 million |newspaper=BBC |date=2012-04-06 |access-date=April 6, 2012 }} The Montana inquiry had found that he had misspent over $6 million of the organization's money, although no criminality was found. Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock said: "Mr Mortenson may not have intentionally deceived the board or his employees, but his disregard for and attitude about basic record-keeping and accounting for his activities essentially had the same effect."{{cite news |title=Three Cups of Tea author must pay $1m to his charity|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17634694 |access-date=7 April 2012|work=BBC News|date=2012-04-06}}
Bullock also wrote in the report that "CAI's mission is worthwhile and important," and "[i]ts accomplishments, driven by the vision and dedication of Mortenson, are significant—as even their harshest critics acknowledge."{{cite web|url=http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_77e76d9e-7f3c-11e1-beee-0019bb2963f4.html|title=Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute mismanaged money, reach $1M settlement with attorney general's office|date=5 April 2012 |publisher=Bozeman Daily Chronicle|access-date=12 February 2014 |last=Flandro |first=Carly }}
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Mortenson was required to resign as executive director and could no longer serve as a voting member of CAI's board.{{cite web|last=Bullock |first=Steve |title=Montana Attorney General's Investigative Report of Greg Mortenson and Central Asia Institute |url=https://files.doj.mt.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012_0405_FINAL-REPORT-FOR-DISTRIBUTION.pdf |access-date=2012-10-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027082246/https://files.doj.mt.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012_0405_FINAL-REPORT-FOR-DISTRIBUTION.pdf |archive-date=2012-10-27 }} However, he was allowed to remain with CAI as an employee.{{cite news|last=Flandro|first=Carly|title=Mortenson, CAI mismanaged money, but will be able to continue work in the future|url=http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_dabeb576-7f91-11e1-a001-001a4bcf887a.html|access-date=2012-10-24|newspaper=Bozeman Daily Chronicle|date=6 April 2012}} Mortenson broke all of his remaining ties to CAI by officially retiring from the organization in 2015.{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/e1dc4917e6a74ac8a859354845c0423c |title=APNewsBreak: Author Greg Mortenson to retire from charity |newspaper=Associated Press |date=November 19, 2015 |first=Matt |last=Volz}}
Books
Mortenson and David Oliver Relin are co-authors of the New York Times bestselling book Three Cups of Tea.[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/books/bestseller/0316bestpapernonfiction.html?scp=1&sq=three+cups+of+tea&st=nyt "Paperback Nonfiction Bestsellers"], The New York Times, March 16, 2008, Listen to the Wind, a 32-page book Young Reader's version of Three Cups of Tea for ages 4–8, was written by Greg Mortenson and illustrated by Susan Roth.{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2010-12-26/paperback-books/list.html | title = Best Sellers: Children's Paperback Books | work = New York Times | date = 26 December 2010 | access-date = 21 May 2015}} It was a New York Times bestseller for 97 weeks.{{cite book|title=Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea|first=Greg|last=Mortenson|date=22 January 2009|publisher=Dial Books|isbn = 978-0803730588}} As detailed in a New York Times article, Relin "suffered emotionally and financially as basic facts in the book were called into question" and ultimately committed suicide on November 15, 2012.Leslie Kaufman. [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/business/media/david-oliver-relin-co-author-of-three-cups-of-tea-dies-at-49.html "David Oliver Relin, Adventurous Journalist, Dies at 49"]. The New York Times, December 2, 2012. In 2009, Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan was written by Greg Mortenson as a sequel to Three Cups of Tea.{{cite book|title=Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan|first1=Greg|last1=Mortenson|first2=Khaled|last2=Hosseini|date=1 December 2009|publisher=Viking|isbn = 978-0670021154}}
Controversies
Mortenson has been criticized by writers such as Peter Hessler and Jon Krakauer for financial mismanagement of his charity,{{cite magazine|last1=Hessler|first1=Peter|title=What Mortenson Got Wrong|url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/what-mortenson-got-wrong|magazine=New Yorker|date=21 April 2011|access-date=September 8, 2014}} for "dodging accountability" and for writing a book Krakauer described as "riddled with lies".{{cite news|last1=Krakauer|first1=Jon|title=Is It Time to Forgive Greg Mortenson?|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/08/is-it-time-to-forgive-greg-mortenson.html|website=Daily Beast|date=8 April 2013|access-date=September 8, 2014}}
In April 2011, 60 Minutes and author Jon Krakauer accused Mortenson of fabrication in his non-fiction books and of financial improprieties at his charity Central Asia Institute.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-20054397.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830134418/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-20054397.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 30, 2011|title=Questions over Greg Mortenson's stories|work=60 Minutes|access-date=February 6, 2014}}
After a one-year investigation, Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock reached a settlement with Mortenson in which he agreed not to file criminal charges but sought restitution for book royalties, speaking and travel fees, promotional costs, and inappropriate personal bills that Mortenson charged to the CAI. The reports stated, “Despite policies that committed him to do so, Mortenson failed to make contributions to CAI equal to the royalties he earned on the books the organization purchased. Nor did he and CAl devise an equitable way to split the costs to advertise and promote the book, which was required by his 2008 employment agreement. Mortenson also accepted travel fees from event sponsors at the same time that CAI was paying his travel costs. Moreover, he had significant lapses in judgment resulting in money donated to CAI being spent on personal items such as charter flights for family vacations, clothing and internet downloads.”{{cite web|url=http://doj.mt.gov/2012/04/montana-attorney-general-announces-settlement-with-greg-mortenson-central-asia-institute/|title=Montana Attorney General announces settlement with Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute|publisher=Montana Department of Justice|access-date=February 6, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202083054/https://doj.mt.gov/2012/04/montana-attorney-general-announces-settlement-with-greg-mortenson-central-asia-institute/|archive-date=February 2, 2014}} Under the terms of a settlement with Bullock, Mortenson agreed to reinstate $1 million to the charity, which included credits for repayments already made. In October 2013, Mortenson completed the repayments to CAI, fulfilling the terms of the 2012 settlement with Bullock.{{cite web|url=http://www.ikat.org/2013/10/09/october-09-2013-federal-appeals-court-affirms-dismissal-of-case-against-cai-and-mortenson|title=Federal appeals court affirms dismissal of case against CAI and Mortenson|date=October 9, 2013|publisher=Central Asia Institute|access-date=August 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223200546/http://www.ikat.org/2013/10/09/october-09-2013-federal-appeals-court-affirms-dismissal-of-case-against-cai-and-mortenson/|archive-date=December 23, 2014}}
=''60 Minutes'' and Jon Krakauer=
On the April 17, 2011, broadcast of CBS News' 60 Minutes, correspondent Steve Kroft alleged inaccuracies in Mortenson's books Three Cups of Tea and its sequel Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as financial improprieties in the operation of the Central Asia Institute.
60 Minutes made the following allegations:
- The story recounted in Stones into Schools about Mortenson's capture by the Taliban did not occur. In fact, he was shown great respect and hospitality, consistent with the Pashtunwali values of his hosts.{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/20110418/ts_dailybeast/13577_mansurkhanmahsudgregmortensonisaliar|title=We Never Kidnapped Greg Mortenson|date=April 18, 2011|work=The Daily Beast|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109083400/http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/20110418/ts_dailybeast/13577_mansurkhanmahsudgregmortensonisaliar/|archive-date=January 9, 2016}}
- Among the schools that Central Asia Institute claimed to have established, some were never built, some were abandoned, some were being used for other purposes, and others were not supported by CAI after they were built.{{cite news|title=Questions over Greg Mortenson's stories |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/15/60minutes/main20054397.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416212133/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/15/60minutes/main20054397.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 16, 2011 |newspaper=CBS News|date=April 15, 2011|access-date=April 21, 2011}}
- The amount of money Central Asia Institute was spending to cover Mortenson's promotional and travel expenses was excessive.
60 Minutes asked Mortenson for an interview prior to their broadcast. Mortenson did not respond to their requests; however, he answered their questions in writing.{{cite web|url=http://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/gmresponse.pdf |title=Greg Mortenson Response to "60 Minutes" Questions |publisher=ikat |access-date=December 30, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607082318/http://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/gmresponse.pdf |archive-date=June 7, 2013 }} Mortenson refused to talk to Steve Kroft, and reportedly the CAI staff requested that the hotel hosting the 60 Minutes crew asked them to leave the facility. Mortenson also canceled the speaking engagement that was scheduled that afternoon in the Atlanta convention facility.{{cite web|last1=Croft|first1=Steve|title=Questions over Greg Mortenson's stories|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/questions-over-greg-mortensons-stories-19-04-2011|website=60 Minutes|access-date=April 11, 2011}}
In an April 2011 Outside magazine interview, Greg Mortenson insisted that Krakauer contacted him only once and inaccurately claimed that he had been trying to get hold of him for some time. He claimed that although he arranged to meet with Krakauer, the interview was eventually cancelled "once I realized how deep and dirty this whole thing was".
Mortenson wrote the following statement in response to the allegations against him that were published in the Bozeman Chronicle: "I stand by the information conveyed in my book, and by the value of CAI's work in empowering local communities to build and operate schools that have educated more than 60,000 students" and added, "The time about our final days on K2 and ongoing journey to Korphe village and Skardu is a compressed version of events that took place in the fall of 1993...."{{cite news|title=Mortenson under fire from '60 Minutes' — Bozeman philanthropist denies allegations|author=Gail Schontzler|url=http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_4d3125cc-67d7-11e0-b861-001cc4c002e0.html|newspaper=Bozeman Daily Chronicle|date=April 15, 2011|access-date=April 21, 2011}} However, writing for Outside Online, Grayson Schaffer investigated Mortenson's claims regarding Korphe and found them likely spurious, as there was no plausible way for Mortenson to have ended up in Korphe while descending K2 in the route he claimed. Additionally, Schaffer concludes that there is no evidence that Mortenson was actually an accomplished Himalayan climber, even though he claimed to have climbed six Himalayan peaks.{{cite news|title=Can't Get There From Here|author=Grayson Schaffer|url=https://www.outsideonline.com/1895581/cant-get-there-here|newspaper=Outside Online|date=April 27, 2011|access-date=November 13, 2018}}
Jon Krakauer, a former financial supporter of CAI, questioned Mortenson's accounts of his exploits independently and was interviewed for the 60 Minutes segment mentioned above. The day after the broadcast, Krakauer released his own allegations in a lengthy online article, Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way.{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XHVOW4|title=Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way (Kindle Single) - Kindle edition by Jon Krakauer. Politics & Social Sciences Kindle eBooks|website=Amazon|date=21 April 2011 |publisher=Byliner }}{{cite magazine|title=The Greg Mortenson Scandal: One University's Bitter Cup of Tea|first=Cary|last=Stemle|date=April 20, 2011|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2066239,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423030200/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2066239,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 23, 2011|magazine= Time}} Krakauer explored financial improprieties at CAI in great detail, reporting that a former board treasurer had left the organization because "Greg regards CAI as his personal ATM," routinely charged personal expenses to the organization, and rarely provided any receipts or documentation.
In response to Krakauer's allegations, CAI produced a comprehensive 'Master Project List' on work CAI had completed or was then working on. The list was released in December 2011.
In April 2013 Krakauer wrote a follow-up article for The Daily Beast in which he stated that an audit of CAI's overseas projects indicated that the charity was still "beset by widespread corruption" and that Mortenson remaining as the public face of the charity was not "in the best interest of the charity or the people it serves". He concluded that "anyone thinking about donating to CAI should probably reconsider".
In January 2014, Mortenson was interviewed on Today by Tom Brokaw.{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2014/0121/Greg-Mortenson-speaks-out-in-first-interview-since-60-Minutes-expose|title=Greg Mortenson speaks out in first interview since '60 Minutes' exposé|author=Husna Haq|work=Christian Science Monitor|date=January 21, 2014|access-date=March 22, 2014}} He apologized and acknowledged that he had let a lot of people down, saying: "I failed in many ways, and it's an important lesson."{{cite web|url=http://www.today.com/books/three-cups-author-greg-mortenson-i-let-lot-people-down-2D11961320|title='Three Cups' author Greg Mortenson: 'I let a lot of people down'|author=Eun Kyung Kim|work=Today|date=January 21, 2014|access-date=March 22, 2014}}
=Lawsuits=
In May 2011, Jean Price and Michele Reinhart, along with Dan Donovan, a Great Falls attorney, filed a class action lawsuit against Mortenson on behalf of readers, asking federal judge James Malloy in Missoula to place all proceeds from the purchases of Mortenson's books into a trust to be used for humanitarian purposes.{{cite web|author=Mike Giglio|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/05/06/greg-mortenson-sued-for-fraud-and-racketeering-for-three-cups-of-tea.html|title=Greg Mortenson Sued for Fraud and Racketeering for 'Three Cups of Tea'|work=The Daily Beast|date=2011-05-06|access-date=December 9, 2016}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20110510070837/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/05/06/montana.mortenson.lawsuit/ "Planned lawsuit targets charity, author of 'Three Cups of Tea'"], CNN, May 7, 2011; retrieved December 9, 2016.[https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/050611mortensonlawsuit.pdf Complaint against Greg Mortenson and CAI, May 5, 2011] Several named plaintiffs dropped the lawsuit after confessing they had never read the books.[http://www.zoomers.ca/profiles/blogs/illinois-woman-drops-lawsuit?xg_source=activity Price drops out of lawsuit in Montana]{{cite web|url=http://www.kbzk.com/news/illinois-woman-joins-lawsuit-against-mortenson|title=Illinois woman joins lawsuit against Mortenson|publisher=KBZK.com|access-date=2012-06-22|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313134827/http://www.kbzk.com/news/illinois-woman-joins-lawsuit-against-mortenson/|archive-date=2012-03-13}}[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/7/apnewsbreak-woman-drops-three-cups-of-tea-suit/print "Woman Drops out of Three Cups of Tea Lawsuit"], Washington Times, July 7, 2011.[http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_a811e23e-a7fa-11e0-9695-001cc4c03286.html Illinois Woman Drops Lawsuit Against Mortenson], missoulian.com; accessed December 9, 2016. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice in federal court in May 2012. U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon chided the plaintiffs for presenting arguments that he called imprecise, flimsy, and speculative.[http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/celebrities/greg-mortenson/montana-judge-tosses-mortenson-lawsuit.html Montana Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute], outsideonline.com, April 30, 2012 An appeals suit was dropped by the 9th District Federal Circuit Court on October 10, 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-fraud-suit-against-greg-mortenson-3-cups-of-tea-rejected-20131010,0,7424790.story#axzz2j3V5tMzC|title=Fraud suit against Greg Mortenson's '3 Cups of Tea' rejected|author=Carolyn Kellogg|work=Los Angeles Times|date=11 October 2013|access-date=February 18, 2014}}
On October 6, 2013, after a lengthy lawsuit filed by Central Asia Institute, Philadelphia Insurance Company was ordered by Magistrate Judge Jeremy Lynch to repay Central Asia Institute $1.2 million to pay for legal costs involved in the lawsuits and investigations.{{cite news |first=Matt |last=Volz |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/08/greg-mortenson-lawsuit_n_4238202.html |title=Greg Mortenson Lawsuit: Insurer To Pay $1.2 Million To Settle 'Three Cups Of Tea' Charity |work=Huffington Post (via AP) |access-date=February 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304211520/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/08/greg-mortenson-lawsuit_n_4238202.html |archive-date=4 March 2016}}
In May 2015, the Montana Attorney General stated that Central Asia Institute and Mortenson had completed the terms of a three-year compliance monitoring period, and CAI stated that the IRS had completed its examination of the nonprofit. The organization reported that it was having a return of donors and rise in contributions.{{cite web|url=http://ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/cai-oag-press-release.pdf |title=Monitoring of Greg Mortenson and Central Asia Institute by Montana Attorney General's Office Concluded |publisher=Central Asia Institute |date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=July 3, 2015 }}{{dead link|date=March 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url=https://philanthropy.com/article/Three-Cups-Authors/230085|title='Three Cups' Author's Nonprofit Reports Fundraising Rebound|publisher=The Chronicle of Philanthropy|date=May 12, 2015|access-date=July 3, 2015}}
=''3000 Cups of Tea''=
Jennifer Jordan and Jeff Rhoads refuted the claims against Mortenson in their 2016 documentary 3000 Cups of Tea. In the film and through interviews Jordan argued that the accusations against Mortenson put forward by 60 Minutes and Jon Krakauer were largely not true and that both failed to do adequate research and source verification.
Jordan said in 2014: "Yes, Greg is a bad manager and accountant, and he is the first to admit that, but he is also a tireless humanitarian with a crucially important mission."{{cite web | url=http://www.3000cupsoftea.org/about-the-film.php | title=About the Film | work=3000 Cups of Tea | access-date=December 9, 2017 | author=Jennifer Jordan}}{{cite web | url=http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/news.php?url=3000-cups-of-tea_1396643715 | title=Greg Mortenson's Saga Not Over Yet: ExWeb Interview with "3000 Cups of Tea" Producers | publisher=ExplorersWeb | date=April 15, 2014 | access-date=December 9, 2017}}
Recognition
=Awards=
- 2003 Al Neuharth Free Spirit of the Year Award for building schools for Pakistani girls.[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1019239CEC02EE00&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Spirit Winner a School Builder"], Washington Times, March 26, 2004.
- 2008 Citizen Center for Diplomacy National Award for Citizen Diplomacy[http://uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org/pages/greg-mortenson-2008-national-awards-for-citizen-diplomacy-honoree Greg Mortenson, 2008 National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy Honoree] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824055124/http://www.uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org/pages/greg-mortenson-2008-national-awards-for-citizen-diplomacy-honoree |date=2010-08-24 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2PLyf_UrO8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/B2PLyf_UrO8 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Greg Mortenson - US Center for Citizen Diplomacy|date=11 June 2009 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=2010-06-23}}{{cbignore}}
- 2008 Courage of Conscience Award{{cite web|url=http://www.peaceabbey.org/awards/cocrecipientlist.html |title=The Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Recipients List |publisher=Peaceabbey.org |date=2005-11-20 |access-date=2010-06-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214172308/http://www.peaceabbey.org/awards/cocrecipientlist.html |archive-date=2009-02-14 }}
- 2008 Graven Award – Wartburg College, IA{{cite web|url=http://www.wartburg.edu/churchrelations/graven.html|title=Graven Award - Church Relations|publisher=Wartburg.edu|access-date=2010-06-23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623181115/https://www.wartburg.edu/churchrelations/graven.html|archive-date=2010-06-23}}
- 2008 Mary Lockwood Founders Medal For Education – Daughters of The American Revolution
- 2008 Sword of Loyola, St. Louis University, MO{{cite web|url=http://www.slu.edu/x27158.xml|title=Saint Louis University Presents Highest Honor to 'Three Cups of Tea' Best-Selling Author|publisher=Saint Louis University|date=2008-11-03|access-date=2010-04-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229050056/http://www.slu.edu/x27158.xml|archive-date=2012-02-29}}
- 2008 Charles Eliot Educator Award – New England Association of Schools & Colleges[http://www.neasc.org/executiveoffice/annual_meeting/123rd_annual_meeting_2008/general_sessions_2008/plenary_address__greg_mortenson_ New England Association of Schools and Colleges 2008 Plenary Address – Greg Mortenson] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705065126/http://www.neasc.org/executiveoffice/annual_meeting/123rd_annual_meeting_2008/general_sessions_2008/plenary_address__greg_mortenson_ |date=2011-07-05 }}, neasc.org; accessed December 9, 2016.
- 2009 Academy of Achievement Award[http://www.achievement.org Academy of Achievement Main Menu], achievement.org; accessed December 9, 2016.
- 2009 Sitara-e-Pakistan (The Star of Pakistan medal){{cite web|last=Hasan|first=Khalid|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\08\18\story_18-8-2008_pg7_11|title=Pakistan to honour American who built 45 schools in NAs|publisher=Daily Times|date=2008-08-18|access-date=2010-04-09}}
- 2009 Archon Award – Sigma Theta Tau International (Nursing Award){{cite web|url=http://www.nursingsociety.org/Media/Pages/ArchonAward.aspx|title=ArchonAward|publisher=Nursingsociety.org|date=2009-11-04|access-date=2010-06-23}}
- 2009 Austin College Leadership Award, Sherman TX – life work to take courageous stand on education issues for peace[http://www.austincollege.edu/10262/austin-college-host-lecture-greg Austin College to Host Lecture by Greg Mortenson at Eisemann Center, February 3, 2010], austincollege.edu; accessed December 9, 2016.;
- 2009 National Education Association (NEA) Human & Civil Rights Award{{cite web|url=http://www.nea.org/grants/17859.htm|title=NEA's Human and Civil Rights Awards|publisher=National Education Association|access-date=2010-04-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126093049/http://www.nea.org/grants/17859.htm|archive-date=2010-01-26}}
- 2009 City College San Francisco Amicus Collegii Award – Promoting peace through education
- 2009 S. Roger Horchow Award for Greatest Public Service by a Private Citizen (Jefferson Award), Carnegie Endowment & Harvard Kennedy School of Government[http://www.jeffersonawards.org Profile], JeffersonAwards.org; accessed December 9, 2016.{{YouTube|njv8Fdm4Qz8|Greg Mortenson accepting his Jefferson Award - 2009}}
- 2009 U.S. News & World Report: America's Top 20 Best Leaders 2009[https://www.usnews.com/listings/best-leaders/13-greg-mortenson America's Best Leaders 2009: Greg Mortenson] at U.S. News & World Report{{cite web|last=Mulrine|first=Anna|url=https://www.usnews.com/articles/news/best-leaders/2009/10/22/greg-mortenson-promotes-peace-through-girls-schools.html|title=Greg Mortenson: Promotes Peace Through Girls' Schools|work=U.S. News & World Report|date=2009-10-22|access-date=2010-04-09}}
- 2009 Italy: Premio Gambrinus "Giuseppe Mazzotti"[http://www.mazzottiprize.co.uk The Mazzotti Prize: English language homepage] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212090959/http://www.mazzottiprize.co.uk/ |date=2011-02-12 }}, mazzottiprize.co.uk; accessed December 9, 2016.
- 2010 Loyola Marymount University (CA) – Doshi Bridgebuilder Of Peace Award{{cite web|last=Nair|first=K.B.|url=http://www.indiajournal.com/pages/event.php?id=9920|title=Author Greg Mortenson Gets Doshi Award|publisher=India Journal|date=2010-02-12|access-date=2010-04-09}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- 2010 The Common Wealth Awards: For Public Service{{cite web|url=http://delaware.broadwayworld.com/article/Laura_Linney_Wins_2010_Common_Wealth_Award_for_Dramatic_Arts_20100503|title=Laura Linney Wins 2010 Common Wealth Award for Dramatic Arts 2010/05/03|publisher=Delaware.broadwayworld.com|access-date=2010-06-23}}
- 2010 The Salem Award for Human Rights – Salem News{{cite web|url=http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_067111043.html|title=Mortenson to receive Salem Award|work=The Salem News|date=2010-03-08|access-date=2010-04-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908141815/http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_067111043.html|archive-date=2012-09-08}}
- 2010 The Christopher Award: "To affirm the highest values of the human spirit"{{cite web|url=http://www.christophers.org/Page.aspx?pid=1144|title=Christophers honor 13 authors & illustrators for books about love, courage & communication across cultures|publisher=The Christophers|date=2010-04-07|access-date=2010-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709181303/http://www.christophers.org/Page.aspx?pid=1144|archive-date=2011-07-09|url-status=dead}}
- 2010 The 10th annual Lantern Award "Excellence in Education Innovation" (MOSTE – LA, CA){{cite web|url=http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7376492|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629041056/http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7376492|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 29, 2011|title=Author Greg Mortenson receives Lanterns Award|publisher=ABC 7|date=2008-08-20|access-date=2010-06-23}}
- 2010 Distinguished Service To Education Award: National Elementary School Principals Association{{cite web|url=http://www.naesp.org/Press_Release_Greg_Mortenson.aspx|title=Principals Award Humanitarian Greg Mortenson for Commitment to Schools|publisher=NAESP|date=2010-03-29|access-date=2010-06-23}}
- 2010 Creativity Foundation & Smithsonian Institution: Benjamin Franklin Laureate Award For Public Service{{cite web|url=http://creativity-found.org/laureate-prize/archive/greg-mortenson1|title=Greg Mortenson ||publisher=Creativity Foundation|access-date=2010-06-23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925122305/http://creativity-found.org/laureate-prize/archive/greg-mortenson1/|archive-date=2010-09-25}}
- 2010 Literature To Life Award – American Place Theater{{cite web|url=http://www.edutopia.org/literature-for-life-theater-inspires-students-read|title=The Power of Performance: How Theater Can Teach Kids|publisher=Edutopia|access-date=2010-06-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609231902/http://www.edutopia.org/literature-for-life-theater-inspires-students-read|archive-date=2010-06-09|url-status=dead}}
- 2010 Viking Award – Norway House for pursuit of hard, bold, dangerous and important undertakings[http://www.norwayhouse.org 2010 Viking Award], NorwayHouse.org; accessed December 9, 2016.
- 2010 Freedom Award – America's Freedom Festival at Provo, for extraordinary devotion to the cause of liberty at home and abroad{{cite web | url=http://www.freedomfestival.org/2010/06/greg-mortenson-author-of-'three-cups-of-tea'-to-appear-at-freedom-awards-gala-in-provo | title=Greg Mortenson, author of 'Three Cups of Tea', to appear at Freedom Awards Gala in Provo|date= June 1, 2010 | publisher=America's Freedom Festival at Provo | access-date=December 9, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605045804/https://www.freedomfestival.org/2010/06/greg-mortenson-author-of-%E2%80%98three-cups-of-tea%E2%80%99-to-appear-at-freedom-awards-gala-in-provo| archive-date= June 5, 2010|url-status=dead}}
- 2010 American Peace Award – representing the spirit of world peace through thoughts and actions[http://www.americanpeaceaward.org/recipient10.html The American Peace Award] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903222852/http://www.americanpeaceaward.org/recipient10.html |date=2011-09-03 }}, americanpeaceaward.org; accessed December 9, 2016.
- 2010 The Mason Award – Extraordinary contribution in literature (George Mason University DC)[http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/295805-1 Mason Award Presentation to Greg Mortenson], c-spanvideo.org, September 24, 2010.
- 2011 Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award Three Cups of Tea Young Reader's Edition[http://www.gelettburgesscenter.org/2011_honors.php Gelett Burgess Center for Creative Expression], gelettburgesscenter.org; accessed December 9, 2016.
- 2011 Presidential Award for Leadership in Social Change – Walden University[http://www.waldenu.edu/News-and-Events/39991.htm Greg Mortenson to Address Graduates at Walden University Commencement], waldenu.edu; accessed December 9, 2016.
- 2011 Raoul Wallenberg Award for humanitarian endeavors – Old Dominion Univ., VA[http://www.odu.edu/ao/news/index.php?todo=details&id=26088 News at Old Dominion University] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318125721/http://www.odu.edu/ao/news/index.php?todo=details&id=26088 |date=2011-03-18 }}, odu.edu; accessed December 9, 2016.
=Honorary degrees=
- Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD 2006{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
- Concordia College, Moorhead, MN 2007{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
- Montana State University, MT 2008 {{cite web|url=http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=5780|title=Search News - Montana State University|access-date=2010-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909114242/http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=5780|archive-date=2010-09-09|url-status=dead}}
- Villanova University, PA 2008 {{cite web|url=http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/media/pressreleases/2008/0428.html|title=Press Release for April 24, 2008}}
- University of San Francisco, CA 2008 [http://www.usfca.edu/President/Honorary_Degree/Past_Recipients University of San Francisco (USF) - Past Recipients] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614220548/http://www.usfca.edu/President/Honorary_Degree/Past_Recipients/ |date=2011-06-14 }}
- University of Washington – Bothell, WA 2008 {{cite web|url=http://depts.washington.edu/honord/index.shtml|title=The University of Washington: Honorary Degrees}}
- Lewis & Clark College, OR 2008 [https://web.archive.org/web/20100601181419/http://legacy.lclark.edu/org/commence/honor08.html Conferring of Degrees, Honoris Causa]
- Colby College, ME 2009 {{cite web|url=http://www.colby.edu/news_events/press_release/mortenson.cfm |title=Greg Mortenson to Speak at 2009 Colby Commencement |publisher=Colby College |date=2009-05-24 |access-date=2010-04-09}}
- Simmons College, MA 2009 [http://www.simmons.edu/overview/about/news/press/814.php Journalist Gwen Ifill to Deliver Simmons College Commencement Address May 15], press release, Simmons College
- Saint Louis University, MO 2009 {{Cite web |url=http://www.slu.edu/Documents/universitas/utas_summer_09.pdf |title=Universitas, St Louis University summer 2009 |access-date=2011-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221123728/http://slu.edu/Documents/universitas/utas_summer_09.pdf |archive-date=2010-12-21 |url-status=dead }}
- Loyola University Chicago, IL 2009 [http://www.luc.edu/education/news_flash/1.html School of Education Lecture with Greg Mortenson - School of Education, Loyola University Chicago] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306011442/http://www.luc.edu/education/news_flash/1.html |date=2012-03-06 }}
- University of Pennsylvania, PA 2010 [http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v56/n23/commencement.html 02/23/10, 2010 Honorary Degree Recipients and the 2010 Commencement Speaker], Almanac, Vol. 56, No. 23
- Brookdale College, Lincroft, NJ 2010 [http://www.ahherald.com/index.php/component/option,com_jevents/Itemid,0/day,27/evid,2025/month,01/task,icalrepeat.detail/uid,d0095bb8beec19d854b52297c6dd5027/year,2010 Author Greg Mortenson at Brookdale]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- University of Colorado, Colorado Springs 2010 [http://communique.uccs.edu/?p=1060 Commencement to honor humanitarians, graduates], UCCS Communique
- Stevenson University (MD) 2010 {{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/gomustangs/4575991708/in/set-72157623985040626|title=DSC_0155|date=27 April 2010}}
- Wittenberg University (OH) 2010 {{cite web|url=http://www9.wittenberg.edu/news/2010/05/wittenberg-celebrates-class-of-2010-with-165th-commencement-exercises|title=Wittenberg Celebrates Class of 2010 With 165th Commencement Exercises : Around the Hollow}}
Published works
- {{cite book |author1=Akiner, Shirin |author2=Tidemen, Sander | title=Sustainable Development In Central Asia | publisher=Curzon Press| year=1998 | isbn=0-312-21931-8}}
- {{cite book |author1=Jones, Karen |author2=Mortenson, Greg |title=The Difference A Day Makes |publisher=New World Library |year=2005 |isbn=1-57731-475-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/differencedaymak00jone }}
- {{cite book | author1=Mortenson, Greg | author2=Relin, David Oliver | title=Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time | publisher=Penguin Group | year=2006 | isbn=0-670-03482-7 | url=https://archive.org/details/threecupsofteaonmor00mort }}
- {{cite book | author=Mortenson, Greg; (with illustrator) Roth, Susan | title=Listen To The Wind (children's picturebook) | publisher=Dial | date=January 22, 2009 | isbn=978-0-8037-3058-8}}
- {{cite book | author=Mortenson, Greg; Relin, David Oliver, adapted by Sarah Thomson | title=Three Cups of Tea: The Young Reader's Edition | publisher=Dial | date=January 22, 2009 | isbn=978-0-8037-3392-3}}
- {{cite book |author1=Mortenson, Greg | title=Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan |url=https://archive.org/details/stonesintoschool00greg_2 |url-access=registration | publisher=Viking | date=December 1, 2009 | isbn=978-0-670-02115-4}}
Personal life
Mortenson lives in Bozeman, Montana, with his wife, Tara Bishop (the daughter of Barry Bishop), a clinical psychologist, and their two children, Amira and Khyber.{{cite web|title=125 Montana Newsmakers: Greg Mortenson|url=http://www.greatfallstribune.com/multimedia/125newsmakers5/mortenson.html|work=Great Falls Tribune|author=Tribune Staff|access-date=August 28, 2011}}[http://www.gregmortenson.com/GMBioOct07.pdf Greg Mortenson bio] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625214821/http://www.gregmortenson.com/GMBioOct07.pdf |date=2008-06-25 }}, gregmortenson.com[http://gregmortenson.blogspot.com/2007/10/mortenson-regular-guy-gets-big-results.html Regular guy gets big results], gregmortenson.blogspot.com, October 7, 2007. In 2011, Mortenson was diagnosed with hypoxia and had surgery for an aneurysm and an atrial septal defect, an event which exactly coincided with the airing of the 60 Minutes expose and the release of Krakauer's accompanying book.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/jon-krakauer-slams-greg-mortenson-in-digital-expose/2011/04/19/AFxToE6D_blog.html|title=Jon Krakauer slams Greg Mortenson in digital expose|author=The Reliable Source|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 19, 2011|access-date=January 26, 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tea-author-idUSTRE7587F320110610|title=Controversial "Three Cups" author has heart surgery|author=Emilie Ritter|work=Reuters|date=June 10, 2011|access-date=August 5, 2014}}
References
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External links
- {{C-SPAN|1029729}}
- {{Charlie Rose view|6952}}
- {{NYTtopic|people/m/greg_mortenson}}
- {{IMDb name|2656002}}
- [http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=22471 "The Real Enemy is Ignorance,"] Greg Mortenson's Ubben Lecture at DePauw University, November 13, 2008.
{{Portalbar|Biography|United States|Pakistan|Afghanistan|Education}}
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Category:American philanthropists
Category:American mountain climbers
Category:Founders of educational institutions
Category:Education in Afghanistan
Category:Education in Pakistan
Category:University of South Dakota alumni
Category:Writers from Bozeman, Montana
Category:People from St. Cloud, Minnesota
Category:People from Roseville, Minnesota
Category:American expatriates in Pakistan