Editing Enron (section)

==Enron Prize for Distinguished Public Service==
During the mid-1990s, Enron established an endowment for the Enron Prize for Distinguished Public Service, awarded by [[Rice University]]'s [[James Baker Institute|Baker Institute]] to "recognize outstanding individuals for their contributions to public service". Recipients were:
* 1995: [[Colin Powell]].<ref name="Enron Prize Powell">{{cite press release|last=Cinelli|first=Michael|url=http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=6616&SnID=2|title=Colin Powell to Receive Enron Prize|publisher=Rice University|date=November 9, 1995|access-date=August 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121195234/http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=6616&SnID=2|archive-date=January 21, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 1997: [[Mikhail Gorbachev]].<ref name="Enron Prize Gorbachev">{{cite press release|last=Cinelli|first=Michael|url=http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=5240&SnID=2|title=Gorbachev to Receive Enron Prize|publisher=Rice University|date=August 28, 1997|access-date=August 26, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
* 1999 (early): [[Eduard Shevardnadze]].<ref name="Enron Prize Shevardnadze">{{cite press release|last=Cinelli|first=Michael|url=http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=446&SnID=2|title=Shevardnadze to Receive Baker Institute's Enron Prize for Distinguished Public Service|publisher=Rice University|date=April 5, 1999|access-date=August 26, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
* 1999 (late): [[Nelson Mandela]].<ref name="Enron Prize Mandela">{{cite press release|last=Montgomery|first=Philip|url=http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=407&SnID=2|title=Mandela To Deliver Keynote Address At Rice University|publisher=Rice University|date=October 15, 1999|access-date=August 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121204405/http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=407&SnID=2|archive-date=January 21, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 2001: [[Alan Greenspan]].<ref name="Enron Prize Greenspan">Almond, B.J. [http://stage.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=2837&SnID=2 Greenspan, Putin to speak on campus]{{dead link|date=July 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} ''Rice University News & Media Relations'', November 8, 2001. Retrieved: August 26, 2011.</ref>

Greenspan, because of his position as the [[Federal Reserve System|Fed]] [[Chairman of the Federal Reserve|chairman]], was not at liberty to accept the $10,000 honorarium, the $15,000 sculpture, nor the crystal trophy, but only accepted the "honor" of being named an Enron Prize recipient.<ref>[http://www.enron-mail.com/email/lay-k/inbox/Enron_Prize.html Enron Prize]. Enron-mail.com. Retrieved on July 12, 2013.</ref> The situation was further complicated because a few days earlier, Enron had filed paperwork admitting it had falsified financial statements for five years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/news/1103/gallery.federal_reserve_flubs/6.html|work=CNN|title=Famous Fed flubs|date=March 24, 2011}}</ref> Greenspan did not mention Enron a single time during his speech.<ref name="Pipe Dreams">Bryce, Robert [https://books.google.com/books?id=Qu7jYzUVnScC&pg=PA327 Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron]{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''Rice University News & Media Relations'', November 8, 2001. Retrieved: August 26, 2011.</ref> At the ceremony, Ken Lay stated, "I'm looking forward to our first woman recipient."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enron-mail.com/email/martin-t/deleted_items/Enron_Mentions_97.html|title=Enron Mentions|website=Enron-mail.com|access-date=July 12, 2013}}</ref> The next morning, it was reported in the ''Houston Chronicle'' that no decision had been made on whether the name of the prize would be changed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enron-mail.com/email/kitchen-l/_americas/sec_media/Enron_Mentions_30.html|title=Enron Mentions|website=Enron-mail.com|access-date=July 12, 2013}}</ref> 19 days after the prize was awarded to Greenspan, Enron declared bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=POzr4PlD06EC&q=greenspan+%22enron+prize%22+bankruptcy&pg=PA122|title=Theory and Reality in Financial Economics: Essays Toward a New Political Finance|first=George M.|last=Frankfurter|publisher=World Scientific|year=2007|isbn=9789812770004|page=122|access-date=September 6, 2017}}</ref>

In early 2002, Enron was awarded MIT's (in)famous [[Ig Nobel Prize]] for "Most Creative Use of Imaginary Numbers". The various former members of the Enron management team all refused to accept the award in person, although no reason was given at the time.