Human rights activist Ndaba Mandela’s recent visit to Kean University was particularly meaningful for Daun Ward, a lecturer at the university. Ward has family ties with Nelson Mandela dating back 30 years through her late father-in-law, Patrick J. Ward, a global corporate executive.
During the visit, Daun Ward shared a photo album and family stories with Ndaba Mandela. These highlighted the friendship between Patrick J. Ward and Nelson Mandela, who was also Ndaba’s grandfather. Patrick J. Ward supported Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment by refusing to withdraw his company from South Africa to avoid harming local communities.
“Nelson Mandela recognized my father-in-law as one of the only corporate leaders who stood strong and supported him,” said Daun Ward. “This is something that, as a family, we are very, very proud of.”
After Nelson Mandela’s release in 1990, he and Patrick J. Ward developed both a business relationship and a lasting friendship. In 1994, Patrick Ward invited Mandela to serve as guest speaker at a National Foreign Trade Council dinner in New York during Mandela’s first state visit to the United States. This event became a cherished family memory.
Following Ndaba Mandela’s Distinguished Lecture at Kean University last month, Daun Ward met with him and shared the photo album, further connecting her family to his legacy.
“He was authentic, kind and warm,” said Daun Ward about Ndaba Mandela. “I think he was as excited to see the pictures as I was to show them. He even took pictures of some of the images himself.”
Ward credited Sancha K. Gray, Ed.D., acting dean of COE and senior vice president for entrepreneurial education initiatives at Kean University, for encouraging her attendance at Ndaba Mandela’s lecture.
“Ndaba Mandela’s visit to Kean University left a profound impact, inspiring students and faculty alike with his powerful message of resilience, leadership and the enduring legacy of his grandfather, Nelson Mandela,” stated Gray.
