On Tuesday, March 1st, Judge Don Willett (U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit) spoke to an audience of more than 150 students and faculty on the importance of civic literacy. Willett argued that the widespread ignorance of the grounding principles of the American experiment in self-government and ordered liberty constitutes a fundamental threat to it.To illustrate his point, Willett drew heavily on the words of the Founding Fathers, especially Benjamin Franklin’s famous proclamation that America is “a republic, if you can keep it.” Willett argued, citing Lincoln’s dictum, that the “golden apple” of the Declaration of Independence is preserved by the “silver frame” of the Constitution, and that only the people’s understanding of these documents and the relationship between them ensures their continued existence. Willett lamented the gaps in public knowledge about not only American history and the political philosophy undergirding the founding but also about basic institutional facts. He noted, for example, that only 51 percent of American adults can name all three branches of government, while only 38 percent can identify the governor of their state. That said, Willett offered hope: those low numbers actually constitute an upwards trend, and he believes that the modern tools of internet research and social media can provide considerable assistance in addressing the problem of “civic illiteracy.”
Several students appreciated Willett’s sense of humor (one described him as “genuinely funny”) while others called attention to his “impressive knowledge of the Founding.” Yet another said that the lecture was “very engaging” and provided “a great look into one of the biggest problems today.”
Before joining the federal judiciary, Judge Willett served a dozen years on the Supreme Court of Texas. He has devoted his professional life to public service, and prior to becoming a judge, he served as legal counsel to a Texas Attorney General, a Texas Governor, a U.S. Attorney General, and the President of the United States. Raised by a widowed mom in a doublewide trailer in a town of 32 people, Judge Willett is his family’s first college graduate. He earned a triple-major BBA from Baylor University and then three degrees from Duke University: JD with honors, MA in political science, and LLM in judicial studies. Judge Willett publishes widely and speaks frequently throughout the country. The former editor in chief of Judicature, the Scholarly Journal For Judges, Willett has been honored four years in a row for “exemplary legal writing” by The Green Bag. He is a member of the American Law Institute, and a Life Fellow of the American, Texas, and Austin Bar Foundations. A native Texan, Judge Willett is a former rodeo bull rider and professional drummer, and in 2015 he was named the “Tweeter Laureate” of Texas by the state legislature.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal appellate court that has jurisdiction over federal district courts in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
If you’d like to watch a recording of the lecture, you can do so here.
