The Fulbright Association is proud to present its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award to Josh S. Weston in recognition of his extraordinary generosity, steadfast leadership, and enduring commitment to the Fulbright community.
Josh has been one of the Association’s foremost donors, supporters, advocates, and mentors. He has contributed far more than financial resources: he has offered his time, counsel, relationships, and unwavering belief in the Fulbright mission. His mentorship has strengthened generations of leaders, while his advocacy has helped expand the Association’s reach, resilience, and impact.
Josh’s life exemplifies the highest values of the Fulbright Program—intellectual curiosity, compassionate leadership, international understanding, and a lifelong commitment to service. This award honors both his remarkable record of professional and philanthropic achievement and the lasting difference he has made within the Fulbright Association.
Josh S. Weston is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Automatic Data Processing (ADP), a distinguished philanthropist, and a lifelong champion of education and public service. A native of Brooklyn, he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the City College of New York before receiving a Fulbright Scholarship to New Zealand, where he completed a master’s degree in economics. He later joined ADP as chief operating officer and became CEO in 1982, leading the company for 15 years before retiring as chairman in 1998.
Throughout his career, Josh has applied his leadership and generosity to causes spanning education, science, human rights, public media, and international understanding. He has served numerous nonprofit and civic organizations, including the International Rescue Committee, Liberty Science Center, WNET, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and FIRST Robotics. Together with his late wife, Judy, he also established and supported educational initiatives such as the Weston Science Scholars Program. Through his philanthropy, mentorship, and service, Josh has consistently embodied the Fulbright ideal of using knowledge, relationships, and leadership to build a better world.