Milton Heath Jr. ‘45 Honored with the John Phillips Award

The Academy’s General Alumni Association honored alumnus Milton Heath Jr. ‘45 this past Friday with the John Phillips Award, which celebrates the life of an Exonian who has contributed notably to the well-being of regions and people beyond Exeter. Cheered on by the roaring applause of students and faculty, Heath spoke at Assembly to accept the award and shared his thoughts with the Exeter community.

"He passed up more lucrative opportunities and stayed the course to teach and author laws that have protected North Carolina’s natural resources for generations to come — demonstrating to students, citizens and officials how government can work for the public good," Mitchell Bradbury, president of the General Alumni Association and a current trustee, said. "For this lifetime of service we presented him with the John Phillips Award."

Heath, after attending senior year at the Academy in 1944, went on to have an illustrious 50-plus year in public service and environmental law. He graduated from Harvard University and then Columbia Law School, following which he served as a law assistant in the New York State Governor’s Office and then joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Government. There, Heath led sessions for state and local public officials that served as training courses for soil and water conservation.

From 1967 to 1983, Heath worked as legal counsel to numerous North Carolina House and Senate Committees. In this role, he was able to help form noteworthy environmental laws on environmental policy, coastal area management, dam safety, water use, protection of mountain ridges and pesticides.

"Some have called him the ‘godfather of environmental law’ in North Carolina," Bradbury said. "As draftsman and legal counsel to legislative committees, he consistently displayed dogged determination in all he did. He always did his job to the fullest, while never seeking individual attention or self-promotion."

Indeed, whether he was teaching students, training government officials, or attempting to pass groundbreaking laws, Heath never wavered in his dedication to public service and the overall health of the earth, making him a superb recipient for the award.

"When the awards committee met early this year to consider the nominees, the chemical spill that contaminated drinking water in West Virginia had just occurred," Deidre O’Byrne, vice-president of the General Alumni Association and current trustee, said. "For me, honoring Mr. Heath's work in drafting most of North Carolina's environmental legislation during the period from 1967-1983 seemed at that time to be especially important."

For both the members of the General Alumni Association and those in attendance at his Assembly speech, Heath served as an inspiration and paradigm of "non-sibi." Accordingly, students and faculty were elated to have the opportunity to hear from such an alumni.

Lower Lauren Fidelak found Heath to be a source of inspiration. "I thought his profession as an environmental lawyer was very interesting. I also thought that he was someone that we could all aspire to be like," she said.

Similarly, physics instructor Tanya Waterman valued the presentation for its ability to motivate and encourage Exonians. "Obviously it is heartwarming for an Exonian to be recognized by his/her alma mater for exceptional work and service, but it is also invaluable for the young audience, as they are given images of future possibilities," she said. "The awardees are not distant celebrities; they were once sitting in these very Assembly Hall seats, with the same kind of worries and joys as the current students."

Waterman believes that this sort of familiarity fuels the imagination. "One of the very best experiences that a teaching institution can bestow upon the learners is to give them glimpses of what is possible in the future," she added.

Evidently, students and faculty’s takeaways from the Assembly were similar to Heath’s intention, which was to notify "students that they can take seriously the opportunity to do whatever they have in mind for their lives, whether it is living a private life or having some part in public affairs. They can do it," Heath said.

Although Heath’s acceptance speech marked one day of many in an Exonian’s time at the Academy, the award’s yearly bestowal can have a lasting impact on all students of Exeter.

"The annual granting of the John Phillips Award is a wonderful reminder to all of the members of the Exeter community of the power of an individual to make a difference," O’Byrne said. "Each year the awards committee is asked to consider an incredibly diverse and accomplished group of candidates. Each has pursued a passion and in so doing, lives a life that embodies goodness and knowledge united in noble character and usefulness to mankind."

Heath himself echoed O’Byrne’s beliefs, noting that the award can expose students to ideas that will help them shape their future lives. "I am sure the students take this opportunity seriously; hopefully it will inspire them to bring about improvements in public affairs after their education at Exeter," Heath said.

Heath might be retired from governmental and institutional work, but it seems his habits for goodness remain to this day. Currently, he is focusing on writing a third book in hopes of passing his knowledge and insight on to others.

"His life's work exemplifies that of an individual who has contributed significantly to the welfare of humanity, and for that, we are grateful," O’Byrne concluded.