Martin School Announces Hall of Fame, Distinguished Alumnus Awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 16, 2012) — Sen. Wendell H. Ford was the first person to be inducted into the Kentucky Public Service Hall of Fame, at the annual Alumni and Friends Reception hosted by the University of Kentucky's Martin School of Public Policy and Administration.

The Martin School's third Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Timothy Adams, a native of Murray, Ky. Adams, a 1986 graduate, is managing director of The Lindsey Group, an economic advisory group.

Brad Cowgill, chair of the Martin School Board of Visitors, said that in creating the Public Service Hall of Fame, the board wanted to "celebrate the lives of those who are attracted to a career of public service, and to show how a life of public service could have such a profound effect on the world." 

Ford was the 53rd governor of Kentucky, before serving 24 years in the U.S Senate between 1974 and 1999. Crit Luallen, member of the Board of Visitors and former Kentucky state auditor, introduced Ford as the Hall of Fame's inaugural inductee. 

"There is no more fitting recipient in the Commonwealth for this award than Sen. Wendell Ford," Luallen said. "He has been a true statesman and a master of the art of compromise. No one else in Kentucky has had such a positive impact on so many."

In accepting the award, Ford said that he was fortunate to find this avenue of service.

"What you do for yourself dies with you; what you do for others lives on,” Ford said. "I hope in my lifetime that I have left some marks that will be helpful."

Ford concluded his remarks with some words for students.

"Washington is a wonderful place," he said. "Frankfort is a wonderful place. City government is a wonderful place. But it is a wonderful place after you go through the University of Kentucky Martin School, when you learn how to operate in those places."    

In presenting the Distinguished Alumnus Award to Adams, Candice Ryder, president of Res Publica, the student association of public administration and policy students, said that "alumni such as Mr. Adams inspire a new generation to enter public service and demonstrate what can be accomplished with their degrees." 

Previously, Adams served as under secretary of the Treasury for international affairs, where he was the administration’s point person in international financial and economic issues, including the G-7 and G-20 meetings and IMF issues. Adams also served as chief of staff to Treasury secretaries Paul O’Neill and John Snow. 

The accomplishments of Martin School students were also acknowledged.  On behalf of the faculty, Professor Edward T. Jennings noted that Martin students have received national or regional awards for their research every year since 1993, a 20-year streak that is unrivaled by any other program in the country. 

This year, four doctoral students and one master’s student received awards from national and regional professional associations.  They are: Kaitlin Bromann, Bryan Gibson, Robert Greer, Bethany Paris and Zhiwei Zhang.

The Martin School's global reach was evident by the presence of visiting scholars from China, students from Korea, San Salvador and Romania, and Martin School alumni who came to the Martin School from Romania and Albania under the East Central European Scholars program.

MEDIA CONTACT: Keith Hautala, (859) 323-2396; keith.hautala@uky.edu