Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. has been honored by the Alabama District Exchange Clubs with the Alabama District Court of Honor, the statewide group’s highest honor.

“The Exchange Club, in my mind, is really one of the special clubs in this country and I’ve always appreciated the focus on patriotism, but I also appreciate the focus on child abuse prevention,” Dr. Hawkins said. “Effective leadership is not about dividing people but pulling people together. It’s through unity that we can realize our greatest potential.”

The award seeks to recognize an outstanding Alabamian who has brought significant fame and honor to the state through their professional achievements and personal life. Given annually for more than 60 years, it’s list of recipients include Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (2025), “Spooner” Oldham (2022), Coach Nick Saban (2021) and Dr. David Bronner (2001).

The National Exchange Club is a service organization focused on youth programs, community service, Americanism and the prevention of child abuse. Local clubs provide thousands of dollars each year in scholarships and support for community initiatives.

Dr. Hawkins continued to speak about what Thomas Jefferson called essential to the success of the United States: ability, integrity and vision.

“The ability to inspire others is the real core of effective leadership,” he said, pointing to the examples of Rosa Parks and John Robert Lewis. “Effective leadership is when the word and the walk come together. When we have leaders who not only say it with conviction but also live it. That’s the essence of real leadership.”

Relating the story of the development of his relationship with Chick-Fil-A founder Truitt Cathy, Dr. Hawkins related a conversation the two men had about Cathy’s testimony before a congressional subcommittee focusing on corporate governance, ethics and “truth-telling” in the wake of corporate scandals of the early 2000s. When he was introduced by the chairman, Cathy stayed silent. Perplexed after a several seconds, the chairman asked Cathy was he going to tell them about business ethics or not.

“Mr. Cathy told him ‘no, sir, I don’t know anything about business ethics. He went on to say, ‘but if its personal ethics you’re interested in I’ll give you my opinion because I don’t distinguish between business ethics and personal ethics: what’s right is right and wrong is wrong’,” Dr. Hawkins said. “What I always loved about Truitt Cathy: he lived in his principles. If don’t believe it, this Sunday, I want you to go to Chick-Fil-A and try to buy a chicken sandwich.”

To illustrate Jefferson’s concept of “vision,” Dr. Hawkins conveyed the story of Maj. James Nesbit, who was a prisoner of war for seven years in Vietnam. Each day he played a mental game of golf, and when he returned to the actual game of golf, he shot par. 

“Major James Nesbit survived at the hands of his captors at the Hanoi Hilton – vision. I’m convinced and what we try to encourage our students to do is ‘if you can see it, you can make it happen’ and if you can’t see, it will never happen,” he said.

“What we need in this community, what we need in this state and what we need in this country and world is great vision. Vision, I believe, based largely on the ‘Golden Rule’ — if everyone lived to that one principle captured in that Golden Rule and treated everyone like they want to be treated, what a different world this would be,” he added.