College Chancellor Sandra Day O’Connor will receive the Virginia Military Institute’s Harry F. Byrd Jr. Class of 1935 Public Service Award today — her 78th birthday.
p. The award, which has been presented three times since its inception in 2002, is given to a public servant whose career mirrors Byrd’s and VMI’s commitment to selflessness, integrity, patriotism and courage.
p. “Justice O’Connor has given much of her life to public service,” G. Gilmer Minor III, president of the VMI Board of Visitors and chairman of the selection committee for the Byrd Award, said in the release. “She exemplifies the spirit of the [award].”
p. O’Connor will address VMI at 10:30 a.m., followed by a parade in her honor at noon.