CARDINAL DOLAN, NYPD COMMISSIONER TISCH TO ADDRESS 81ST AL SMITH DINNER
Former Archbishop Offers Keynote, NYPD Commissioner Receives Award
The 81st Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner benefiting women and children in need will take place on October 15, 2026, at the Waldorf Astoria New York. The event, hosted for the first time by Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York, will feature a keynote address by Archbishop Emeritus of New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, Jessica S. Tisch, will receive the 2026 Happy Warrior Award.
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, held annually on the third Thursday of October at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, is hosted by the Archbishop of New York and raises funds for charities supporting vulnerable women and children in the Archdiocese of New York. The dinner has been a fixture of New York's social and political calendar for decades, traditionally bringing together presidential candidates in election years for a non-partisan evening of humor and charity.
The 2025 Al Smith Dinner raised $7.4 million, breaking the record for donations through the dinner in a non-presidential year. In the past twenty years, the Foundation has increased its annual grant allocation from $1 million to over $5 million.
Previous Smith Dinner speakers include Winston Churchill, General Dwight Eisenhower, Bob Hope, Henry Kissinger, Stephen Colbert, Michael Bloomberg, Condoleezza Rice, Peggy Noonan, and former Secretaries of State Antony Blinken and Michael Pompeo. In 2024, former Vice President Kamala Harris provided a video message and President Donald Trump addressed the dinner.
Jessica Tisch, recipient of the Happy Warrior Award, is the 48th Commissioner of the New York City Police Department. Prior to becoming the NYPD Commissioner, she served as the commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation. Previous Happy Warrior recipients include Ken Langone, Peter Grauer, Rob Speyer, and Robert Kraft.
-30-
NOTE: Media wishing to cover the event must obtain a credential from the Office of Communications of the Archdiocese of New York. To apply for a credential, please email the following to alsmithmedia@archny.org:
Name:
Media Organization:
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Coverage (Video Camera position, Still Photography position, Writing position, etc):
Applications do not guarantee approval for a credential. Credentials will be issued to journalists at the discretion of the Archdiocese of New York and the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation. Anyone wishing to cover the dinner must apply for a press credential by Monday, October 12, 2026, at 4:00 PM.
Once approved, applicants will be notified and additional information about attendance will be sent by email.
About Alfred E. Smith Four-time Governor of New York and first Catholic nominee for President of the United States from a major political party, Al Smith was known as the “Happy Warrior” for his indomitable spirit and good cheer.
About the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Established to honor the legacy of Governor Alfred E. Smith, the foundation supports Catholic charitable works throughout the New York metropolitan area through its annual dinner and other fundraising activities.
About the Waldorf Astoria New York Opened in 1931, the Waldorf Astoria New York has served as an international symbol of luxury hospitality for nearly a century, hosting world leaders, celebrities, and landmark events throughout its storied history.
###