ATLANTA (November 19, 2013) – Sen. Nan Grogan Orrock (D-Atlanta) was awarded the prestigious Monroe Medal by the President and Board of Visitors of the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in Fredericksburg, Virginia. A 1965 alumna of UMW, Sen. Orrock joined the historic March on Washington, launching her participation in the civil rights movement. The award recognizes her continued role as a civil rights activist and her long career in Georgia state government.
Sen. Orrock, in turn, gave the keynote address at the November 15th ceremony dedicating a UMW lecture hall to honor civil rights legend Dr. James L. Farmer, Jr.
“I’m honored to be both recognized by my alma mater and to bring tribute to Dr. Farmer,” said Sen. Orrock. “His organization of the 1961 Freedom Ride and his leadership of the Congress of Racial Equality have marked him in history as a civil rights leader whose vital contributions helped reshape our nation. As a faculty member, Dr. Farmer was a compelling force for students and the broader community. I applaud UMW’s ongoing commitment to educating new generations about the significance of the civil rights movement and its contributions to our nation.”
Farmer died in 1999 at the age 79. As one of the ‘Big Four’ who worked closely with Martin Luther King, Jr., he later taught the history of civil rights movement to Mary Washington students for more than a decade. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton before his retirement in 1998.
RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
November 20, 2013
For Information Contact:
Jennifer Yarber, Director
Kate Greer, Broadcast Specialist
Kate.Greer@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028