Two Princeton graduates who have served their countries with distinction in foreign affairs will receive the University's top alumni honors this year.
Lloyd Axworthy, former Canadian minister of foreign affairs, and Stapleton Roy, a three-time U.S. ambassador, will receive their awards and deliver addresses on campus on Alumni Day, Saturday, Feb. 24.
Axworthy, who earned his master's degree and doctorate in politics in 1963 and 1972, respectively, has been chosen for the James Madison Medal. The medal was established by the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni and is given each year to a Graduate School alumnus or alumna who has had a distinguished career, advanced the cause of education or achieved an outstanding record of public service. James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, is believed to be Princeton's first graduate student in a field other than theology.
Roy, who earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University in 1956, will receive the Woodrow Wilson Award, given annually to an undergraduate alumnus or alumna whose career embodies the call to duty in Wilson's famous speech, "Princeton in the Nation's Service." A Princeton graduate, Wilson served as president of the University and as president of the United States.
On Alumni Day, Axworthy will speak on "An Encounter with Emma: The Case for Rethinking Security and State Sovereignty in the New Century" at 9:15 a.m. He will reflect on the story of a 13-year-old child-soldier, the questions it raises for the international community and the challenges it poses to our notions of the rights of nation-states.
Roy will address "Diplomatic Diversions: Reflections on the U.S. Place in the World" at 10:30 a.m. He will draw on his experiences in the foreign service to discuss selected topics in U.S. policy and diplomacy.
Both talks will be held in Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. They are open to the public.
Contact: Justin Harmon (609) 258-3601