JSC Professor and Vermont State Senator Bill Doyle Honored for Public Service

October 18, 2007

JOHNSON — The first annual Lamoille County Seminar on Public service held at JSC on Oct. 18 included the announcement of a new scholarship, an award for meritorious service, and a speech by recently retired Judge Edward Cashman on public virtue.

Professor Emeritus John Duffy announced the new scholarship opportunity for Lamoille County high school students.

“Beginning in 2009, the Lamoille Seminar will award a partial scholarship to a graduate of a Lamoille County high school who attends Johnson with intentions to pursue a career in some sort of public service,” Duffy said.

Another facet of the annual seminar on public service will be the presentation of an award for meritorious service.

Gail Sylvester Cashman presented the first award to Professor and Senator Bill Doyle.

Cashman applauded Doyle’s public service, noting his teaching career that has spanned seven generations of students, his representation of Washington County since 1969, the Doyle Survey that gathers information at town meetings, and his guidance of over 50 students in participating in public office.

“His years of public service in Vermont as a professor and senator have obviously been of invaluable service to our community,” said Cashman.

Accepting the award, Doyle expressed concerns for students in the Vermont college systems.

“Education should come first but the economy is the beneficiary if you have a situation with support for higher education somewhat on par with [support for] the board of public education,” Doyle said.

Doyle also thanked the Sylvester-Cashman family for the award and noted JSC is the only member of the state colleges to offer a political science degree, and JSC students’ efforts to engage in public service are equal to the efforts of all 17 public and private institutions of higher learning in Vermont.

The presentation of the award was followed by Judge Edward Cashman’s speech on public virtue.

Judge Cashman’s speech was peppered with quotes of notable historic figures on public and personal virtue, and he identified threats to public virtue which include power and the loss of goodness.

He remarked on people who choose involvement in public service, saying they hear a call to serve. The voice Cashman heard was that of John F. Kennedy during his inaugural address when Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

“Every time I think of it, it still brings tears to my eyes,” he said.

Cashman noted people like himself and Doyle will soon be passing from the scene and encourages students to learn to govern themselves.

“If you don’t you’ll be governed by power [and] you’ll be governed by greed,” he said.

The annual seminar is made possible by the Sylvester-Hulburd Endowment which honors and memorializes the contributions of public service made by Harold C. Sylvester, Esq. and Benjamin M. Hulburd, Esq.