Daniels to be honored by Presidential Scholars Foundation

Fifty years after being named a Presidential Scholar during his senior year of high school, Purdue President Mitch Daniels will be recognized by the Presidential Scholars Foundation with the inaugural Roosevelt “Rosey” Thompson Award on June 19 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

According to the Presidential Scholars Foundation, Daniels was selected in recognition of his meaningful contributions to education and the civic life of our nation. Receiving the recognition alongside him will be Rita Dove, a former U.S. poet laureate, and Chief Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.

The Roosevelt “Rosey” Thompson Award is a special recognition to be given to alumni of the Presidential Scholars Program who have continued “a particular commitment to excellence and dedication to improving society.” Thompson, the award’s namesake, was an ambitious young scholar with a bright future in public service, tragically cut short in 1984 when he was killed at age 22.

“I would never have expected to be singled out from among the roughly 5,000 top high school scholars of the last half century. I’ll be mindful the rest of my working days of the responsibility to live up to this tremendous honor,” Daniels says.

Each year 161 of the nation’s top high school graduates are chosen to be U.S. Presidential Scholars. Coming from all walks of life, the young scholars excel in their academic and artistic achievements, represent greatness, and are sure to be influential in their fields. The recognition includes a trip to the nation’s capital to participate in seminars, ceremonies, and various celebratory activities hosted by government officials and other highly accomplished individuals.

When Daniels was honored as a Presidential Scholar in 1967, there were only two individuals selected per state, and part of their time was spent with former President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House. Daniels remembers his experiences as extraordinary.

From there, Daniels went on to serve in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and held several other prestigious roles in public service, before coming to Purdue.

Writer: Samantha Boram; sboram@purdue.edu