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 "Democratic societies need a common ground, a shared frame of  
 reference within which to encourage both diversity and
 constructive debate about the common good. A free people cannot
 enjoy the fruits of its liberty without collaborative efforts in behalf of
 community."
-- An American Imperative: Higher Expectations for
   Higher Education
 
211 Old Main
One John Marshall Drive
Huntington, WV 25755-2014
Tel: 304-696-3183
Fax: 304-696-3197

 
Philosophy
  The John Deaver Drinko Academy at Marshall University is devoted to enhancing public understanding of American institutions and the responsibilities of citizens to their society, particularly our sense of shared values and common purpose. The efforts of the Academy are designed to counteract the erosion of our civic culture, evident in the steady decline of citizens' participation in voting and jury duty, despite an expansion of the franchise in the 20th Century and federal laws protecting voting rights.

Colleges and universities are the obvious place to begin to address this crisis in American civic culture. As a predominantly undergraduate institution with a strong commitment to teaching, Marshall University is particularly well positioned to initiate an academic dialogue centered on common civic concerns.

History
  The academy got its start in 1985 when John and Elizabeth Drinko established a million dollar chair, the university’s first, in the College of Liberal Arts.

The initial program proved so successful that in the spring of 1994 the Drinko Chair was redesigned, enlarged and renamed so as to encompass its newly defined objectives. Following John Drinko’s suggestion that Marshall establish a center to examine the critical need in our society for a better public understanding of American institutions and the responsibilities of citizens to their society, the academy was established and handsomely endowed.

Of the many campus activities sponsored by the Drinko Academy, none is more important than the annual Celebration of Academics. In part, the celebration consists of the Drinko Symposium which provides a platform for Drinko Fellows to present the results of their research to the university community. Presented in tandem is the celebration’s other centerpiece – the Elizabeth Gibson Drinko Honors Convocation. This important event, also established in 1994, provides the one time of the year the university collectively acknowledges its honors students.

In its first decade, the Drinko Academy has more than fulfilled the hopes and expectations of its founders. This publication is designed to represent just how meaningful the impact has been. While not exhaustive, the information cited represents a comprehensive view of the positive influence the Drinko Academy has had on the quality of academic life at Marshall University

 
       
Copyright 2008 Drinko Academy, MU

211 Old Main = One John Marshall Drive= Huntington, WV 25755-2014
Email:
drinko@marshall.edu