In the short space of one month, July, a handful of Princeton alumni have overcome extraordinary challenges, defended democracy, broken barriers, and pioneered space travel under great pressure, in the face of grave danger, and all in the glare of the global spotlight. And all have stepped up with amazing courage, strength, and grace. They have made Princeton proud and we should salute them.
Gen. Mark Milley ’80, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, defended democracy and stared down a challenge from former President Donald Trump that arguably protected the country and the Constitution (according to reporting from a new book). Gen. Milley, an avid student of history, saw a strong similarity between how Trump was rallying his followers and how Adolf Hitler courted his own, and organized a counter plan among other military leaders and administration officials to thwart any potential coup. He urged them to resign en masse should Trump give them illegal orders. He also explained his insightful rationale in riveting testimony before Congressional committees, and outlined why knowledge of history is so critical.
Jeff Bezos ’86 is blazing a new trail by blasting into space in his Blue Origin rocket and capsule, and taking one of the first trips himself. His groundbreaking space program, his reusable rockets, and his willingness to donate $2 billion to help NASA rejoin the global space race shows his unparalleled ingenuity, innovation, and commitment to conservation. He also contributed $100 million each to two recipients for courage with civility.
Ashleigh Johnson ’17, the goalie for the U.S. women’s water polo team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics (and now a two-time gold medalist), is one of the first African American members to succeed in the sport’s highest levels and has broken many barriers on her road to success. She also was recently featured in full page ads for Ralph Lauren’s Polo line of fashion.