The Conferring of Honorary Degrees
John E. Jones III '77

Citation Presented by James M. Hoefler, Professor of Political Science
Conferring of the degree by William G. Durden, President

Judge John E. Jones III ; Dickinson College Class of 1977. You are the author of the opinion in Kitzmiller vs. Dover School District . This case was the first direct challenge brought in United States federal courts against a public school district that required the presentation of Intelligent Design as an alternative to Darwin 's theory of evolution . You concluded that intelligent design was a form of creationism , and as such, the school board policy requiring its presentation violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Your decision led to a number of interesting developments, including:

• Articles in Harpers and the New Yorker , where you were described as a rugged 1940s movie star, a cross between William Holden and Robert Mitchum.
• Listing as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world for 2006. In Time's words, you are one of those people who matter most; one of those people who define our times.
• More recently, Paramount Pictures began work on a movie about the Dover School Board case in which your role as presiding judge will be featured. (We understand you prefer Tom Hanks for the Judge Jones role.)
• And, if all this attention were not enough, you were singled out by Wired Magazine as one of the 10 sexiest geeks of 2005 !

What a wild ride it's been for you, Judge Jones. And something tells me it's not over.

Our speaker today traces the origins of his life to Schuylkill County, anthracite coal country about 70 miles northeast of here. He was born and evolved in Pottsville , Pennsylvania before arriving at Dickinson College in 1973, where he became:

• a member of the Raven's Claw;
• a brother in Alpha Chi Rho; and
• a major in that most intelligently designed of all disciplines: political science.

After Dickinson , Judge Jones migrated down the street to the Dickinson School of Law, graduated with a law degree in 1980, and set his scopes on courtroom advocacy. During a 22-year career as a trial lawyer, Judge Jones represented thousands of clients from all walks of life and all across the state. He also served as solicitor for several municipalities, as state attorney for the D.A.R.E. program, and worked for 12 years as a part-time assistant public defender in Schuylkill County .

In 1995, Judge Jones was nominated by then-Governor Tom Ridge to chair the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which he did for seven years. This is one of many times in the judge's professional life where his political science training came in to play. Just the other day a colleague told me that Judge Jones told him: "Yeah, my 4 years at Dickinson gave me lots of experience for that liquor control board job."

Judge Jones was appointed to the federal bench by President Bush early in 2002 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate later that year. It was in this new role where our speaker truly came into his own in by presiding over the Dover Intelligent Design dispute-a court case of biblical proportions. (Yes, I said biblical -after all, believe it or not, the trial lasted 40 days and 40 nights. . . .)

As Noel Potter, emeritus professor of geology put it: Judge Jones is my hero of the moment. You are a hero indeed, Judge Jones, because if Professor Potter said it, it must be true.

And so it is for your heroic opinions, and for a lifetime of achievement and dedicated service to the community, both inside the courtroom and out, that we take this opportunity to honor you, today.

Mr. President, it is my pleasure and honor to present to you Judge John E. Jones III, United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and Dickinson Class of 1977, for the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law and Public Service.

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