Ed Meese Receives Armstrong Award
Colorado Christian University's Centennial Institute honored former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III with the William L. Armstrong Award for visionary leadership in service to the American idea on Saturday, June 9, 2018 at the William L. Armstrong Gala during the Western Conservative Summit.
"With a lifetime of service to the founding principles of our country, we are honored to bestow this award upon Attorney General Ed Meese," said Jeff Hunt, Chairman of the Western Conservative Summit. "William L. Armstrong was a follower of Christ, husband, father, grandfather, businessman, U.S. Senator, college president, and a friend to all. He provided the visionary leadership to create the Western Conservative Summit."
Former Attorney General Meese reminded the enthusiastic crowd of President Ronald Reagan's true legacy and why it is even more important today. He said: "Our job as conservatives is to preserve and promote the lessons we learned from President Ronald Reagan and to motivate our leaders and our citizens to support the principles, the policies, and the practices that Ronald Reagan demonstrated to our nation. Thus, we can continue Ronald Reagan's quest to ensure that the United States remains his beloved shinning city on a hill, an example for the rest of the world, and a beacon of liberty to people throughout the world."
Edwin Meese III, the prominent conservative leader, thinker, and elder statesman, continues a quarter-century of formal association with The Heritage Foundation as the leading think tank's Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow Emeritus. During the Reagan governorship, Meese served as executive assistant and chief of staff from 1969 through 1974 and as legal affairs secretary from 1967 through 1968. He previously was deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California.
From January 1981 to February 1985, Meese held the position of counselor to the president -- the senior job on the White House staff -- and functioned as Reagan's chief policy adviser. Meese served as the 75th attorney general of the United States from February 1985 to August 1988. As the nation's chief law enforcement officer, he directed the Justice Department and led international efforts to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, and organized crime.
Prior to Attorney General Ed Meese's acceptance speech, Mr. and Mrs. Wil and Kristy Armstrong, the son and daughter-in-law of the late U.S. Senator and late CCU President William L. Armstrong, presented a $100,000 donation toward the construction of the Armstrong Center -- an iconic chapel and performing arts auditorium. With this gift, University Advancement has identified $14.6 million of the $30.2 million Armstrong Center campaign.