Hawkins awarded as 2025 Patriot of the Year

Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. has been named this year’s 2025 Patriot of the Year by the Mobile Area Veterans Commission. 

The award comes as an acknowledgement to Hawkins’ decorated military service and his continued efforts to promote military friendliness and patriotism as the chancellor of Troy University. 

“Based on the love of the country and the fact that I was originally from Mobile, Alabama, being named Patriot of the Year in view of some very, very distinguished people whom I’ve known over the years is really humbling,” Hawkins said. “It’s a great honor, and I take very seriously the responsibilities associated with it.” 

Hawkins said the award is not awarded for one thing or one dimension of life but an accumulation of things. He said he views the award as an accumulation of good citizenship and commitment and service to the country.  

He also said patriotism, to him, means a willingness to stand up for the ideals of this country and to sacrifice for this country to pay one’s dues for the blessing of living in it. 

According to Hawkins, some of his most valuable leadership lessons were learned as a young man in the United States Marine Corps – lessons he still finds himself remembering and relying on as chancellor. 

“The military, I think, is the best training ground for leadership preparation,” Hawkins said. “Leaders are not necessarily born. 

“A lot of people speculate that that’s true, but I think leadership is an accumulation of life’s experiences. It takes a lot of different experiences, dealing with a lot of different people, in order to be effective in a leadership role, and so I think I look back on some of those very basic lessons that I try to emphasize to our own students.” 

Hawkins said two words he learned in the military that have served him very well are “eat last.” In other words, take care of the people under your charge before you take care of yourself. 

“I don’t care if it’s in the military or in higher education or in a business – it's about service,” Hawkins said. “If you can’t serve, you can’t lead.” 

To close, Hawkins noted he thought Troy University played a role in the decision for him to be named Patriot of the Year.  

“I believe that the values of this institution are fairly well known,” Hawkins said. “I think we hold dear those values – faith, family and freedom. 

“We’re not bashful about that. We’re not bashful to stand for the flag and kneel in prayer. 

I really believe that, if you build your house on a rock, it’ll stand. I believe our house at Troy University is built on a rock.”