Rewarding Service

Thank you for publishing the acceptance speech given by Anthony D. Romero ’87 upon his receipt of the Woodrow Wilson Award (“Public Service in a Self-Interested Age,” April 8).

Mr. Romero paid tribute to the journey that Princeton has taken to date regarding the legacy of Woodrow Wilson 1879, whose racism in words and deeds and whose propensity for political repression as president of the United States have received wider scrutiny in recent years. I wonder if Romero considered taking this opportunity to call for the next logical step on this journey: to rename the award. I realize this has been suggested in the past. Perhaps it is a step that Princeton is not yet ready to make, but I believe it will one day and, frankly, the sooner the better. 

When it does, I hope Princeton considers not naming the award for any person. The spirit of the award is embodied in the phrase “In the Nation’s Service and the Service of Humanity.” That phrase not only expresses Princeton’s longstanding call on its alumni to public service; it also embodies the moral journey of Princeton itself, from its initial national horizon to its global vision today. 

That the original phrase was coined by Woodrow Wilson is a tribute to the best aspects of this complicated and contradictory figure in Princeton, American, and world history. That it was expanded to a broader vision is a tribute to Princeton’s continued growth. 

I, for one, would be happy to see the award named simply “The Service of Humanity Award.”