- Young George Romney, Mitt Romney’s father
Governor Mitt Romney’s father, the late George Romney, has received a posthumous honor:
Adrian College Announces George Romney Institute for Law and Public Policy
ADRIAN, Mich. – Adrian College is pleased to announce the opening of the George Romney Institute for Law and Public Policy which will take place this fall. The Institute is named in honor of the late George Romney who served as the 43rd governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969.
Former governor of Michigan, presidential candidate and past Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in President Nixon’s cabinet, George Romney had a special relationship with Adrian College. He visited the campus numerous times. In 1968, he made a stop on his campaign trail to reelection of governor, and spoke to 600 students who gathered on short notice just to hear what he had to say as it was a defining time in our nation’s history.
Romney, who ended up winning reelection in a landslide a short time later, asked those students to “consider doing something valuable for mankind or face the possibility of losing the liberties and values you hold dear.”
A few years later, Mr. Romney gave the commencement speech to 245 graduates in 1974. During that address, Mr. Romney stated that it was most important to “take our citizenship seriously, that we work for a better, more responsible government.”
His words ring true almost 40 years later and the College, along with the Romney family, will help to instill these values with the new Institute.
This Institute, joins the four others launched recently and will work to weave legal and public policy considerations into the academic fabric of Adrian College.
[…]The Institute director is Professor Nathan Goetting, an assistant professor in the department of sociology, social work and criminal justice, specializing in jurisprudence.
[…]“It is a privilege to have been named Director of the George Romney Institute for Law and Public Policy, Adrian College’s first endowed institute,” said Goetting. “Cultivating a deeper understanding of public affairs is an essential part of the college experience.”
He says that the Institute will help provide students with the intellectual foundation and practical skills they need to succeed in law school, graduate school or simply as informed and active citizens.
(emphasis mine)
Read more here.
Governor Romney shared a close and loving relationship with his father and credits him with teaching him how to work hard. Both parents taught Mitt the value of charitable work and service. I’m sure he and all of his family are very pleased that George Romney has been memorialized thusly.
George and Lenore Romney and members of their family at their home in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. From left, daughter Jane Robinson with Gregory, 1, son-in-law Larry Keenan with 2-month-old daughter Susan; son-in-law Bruce Robinson; son Mitt, 14; daughter Lynn Keenan holding son Brett, 2; Lenore Romney holding grandson 2-month-old Douglas Robinson; and George Romney with granddaughter Jody Keenan, 3. Not shown is the Romneys’ son Scott, who was serving a church mission in England.
“The pursuit of the difficult makes men strong.” -George Romney. Mitt uses that quote in his book as well.
Great post Jayde. I hadn’t heard anything about this, so it was a surprise to me.
That’s a great quote.
I enjoyed looking through Romney family photos for this post. It looks like they made a lot of wonderful memories as a family. I especially liked the photo posted here of Mitt when he was a little guy… buddies with their arms around each other. Good times.