Churchill Bell Winners to Talk Citizenship in Panel Discussion

By Amber Lester Kennedy Friday, April 29, 2011

Journalist Jim Lehrer, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and historian Gordon Wood will discuss the responsibilities of citizenship at the Kimball Theatre on Saturday.

The discussion between the three Churchill Bell honorees will be moderated by Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC and a Colonial Williamsburg Trustee. The program will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Kimball Theatre; it will be broadcast online and Mitchell will take questions posted by Colonial Williamsburg followers on Twitter. On-site seating is no longer available.

The event addresses citizen engagement in the United States. The three panelists were chosen by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to receive the 2011 Churchill Bell, the foundation’s highest award, given to those who exemplify what it means to be active and engaged citizens, building upon the principles of liberty, courage, dignity and devotion to the common good interpreted through the Foundation. The award, shaped like a town crier’s bell, was first awarded to Winston Churchill in 1955.

The Churchill Bells will be presented at a private dinner on Saturday evening at the Williamsburg Lodge. Each honoree will receive the award from CW President Colin Campbell and Chairman of the Board Richard Tilghman. Expected speakers during the evening include Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and historians Barbara Oberg and Michael Beschloss.