The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans has named Dale LeFebvre (1993, EE), founder and executive chairman of 3.5.7.11 Investments, as a recipient of the 2024 Horatio Alger Award. The association promotes the merits of private enterprise, and the Horatio Alger Award recognizes the achievements of outstanding leaders whose perseverance in the face of adversity personifies the American Dream. Prior to earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Mr. LeFebvre participated in the MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science program (MITES) in 1988. MITES brings together highly motivated middle and high school students to experience STEM through hands-on, collaborative projects alongside a diverse group of peers, STEM professionals, scientists, college students, and faculty.
“Dale LeFebvre recognizes the importance of investing in all zip codes for youth to have access to STEM fields because talent is everywhere, but opportunities are not,” said MITES Executive Director Eboney Hearn. “The entire MITES family congratulates Dale on his induction into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, and we hold him up as an example to all of our scholars of how far their talents can take them.”
“Throughout my career, I’ve been asked to share my story and let others know, especially the younger generation, that your adversities do not define you and instead can motivate you,” said Mr. LeFebvre in the announcement released by the Horatio Alger Association. “I’m honored to join an Association that empowers students to overcome challenges and build their dreams, no matter how daunting they may at times seem.”
Mr. LeFebvre hails from humble beginnings in Beaumont, Texas, and he developed an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for learning at a young age. Horatio Alger Association Executive Director Terrence J. Giroux notes in the organization’s announcement that to Mr. LeFebvre, “A college degree was a ticket to a brighter future, and he saw firsthand where that ticket took him.” Mr. LeFebvre completed an internship with Senator Edward Kennedy during his time at MIT and joined McKinsey & Company after graduation as one of the first MIT graduates to be hired as a business analyst.
After his tenure at McKinsey & Company, Mr. LeFebvre worked at a number of Wall Street firms before he became a founder and managing partner at AIC International Investments. He founded 3.5.7.11, a privately owned equity investment firm, in 2006 and “has raised more than $1 billion in institutional capital for businesses specializing in transportation, infrastructure, energy, financial services and technology,” according to the association.
The Horatio Alger Award also recognizes leaders’ philanthropic contributions to their communities. In acknowledgment of Mr. LeFebvre’s generous support of many education, civil rights, arts, cultural, and humanitarian causes, President Barack Obama appointed him to the Advisory Committee on the Arts at the Kennedy Center in 2014. The National Museum of African American History and Culture named him a Founding Milestone Donor in recognition of his $1 million gift. He is also a patron of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of the Virgin Islands.
Mr. LeFebvre’s many accolades include the National Bell Labs Fellowship at MIT, the Traphagen Fellowship from Harvard Law, and the Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellowship. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Lincoln Financial Group, the National Smithsonian Board, and the Board of Trustees for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
In addition to an electrical engineering degree from MIT, Mr. LeFebvre also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School. He is an avid inventor who holds over 50 international and domestic patents.
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans will induct Mr. LeFebvre and the other ten honorees into the association during an April ceremony in Washington, D.C.