Ronald Reagan Statesmanship Award given to longtime public servant

At an event coordinated with the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., Liberty University’s Helms School of Government (HSOG) presented former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III with the inaugural Ronald Reagan Award for Excellence in Statesmanship on Monday, recognizing his dedication to public service under Ronald Reagan’s presidential administration.

According to HSOG Dean Shawn Akers, the award was established in order to recognize virtuous and distinguished public servants who can act as role models for Liberty students wishing to enter the political arena.

“We wanted to honor the political leaders who will govern themselves and limit the use of power that is available to them,” Akers said. “Those who will hold power and not be perverted by it, those who are there by calling and duty and service to others instead of personal promotion, and former Attorney General Meese fits that description perfectly.”

A group of Liberty students travelled to the presentation. Students serving at internships in the area and selected guests were also invited. The event featured remarks from Meese and current U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco.

Earlier in the day, students visited the U.S. Supreme Court and received a courtroom lecture. The visit was faciltated by HSOG alumnus Jeff Smith, chief of the Supreme Courtroom Police Department.

During his speech at the award ceremony, titled “The U.S. Constitution: Relevant Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” Meese explained the responsibility that policymakers have to uphold constitutional principles and the ramifications of abandoning them. Following his remarks, Meese shared his experience with students during a Q & A facilitated by Tim Goeglein, senior fellow for the Helms School of Government’s Center for American Statesmanship.

Akers said having guests address the crowd, including public officials who worked during different presidential administrations, reinforced the responsibility of statesmanship. Goeglein was a deputy director of the White House’s Office of Public Liaison under President George W. Bush and Francisco currently works for President Donald Trump’s administration.

During a reception following the event, students met with the statesmen, creating meaningful connections with successful public servants who share many of the attributes that the Helms School of Government strives to instill in its students.

“Being here not only turned into a learning experience, but I loved that it also gave me a chance to network and develop a relationship with Meese,” said Tim Murcek, a sophomore government student. “I got to pick his brain about the Constitution; it was nice that it was a smaller group that went because the whole thing felt more intimate.”

In many different avenues and facets, the Helms School of Government offers its students opportunities to network and learn outside of the classroom. Attending the award presentation is just the latest example of students engaging with professionals in the field and learning what great civil servitude looks like.

“This idea of statesmanship has become a touchstone of everything we do at the Helms School of Government,” Akers said. “In the end, we really just want to train our students to exercise power in the spirit of service and wear that power with grace and responsibility.”