Thanks for Doing a Thankless Job
I recently had the privilege of working closely with two men of uncommon courage -- Andrew F. Brimmer, former chair of the D.C. financial control board, and Julius W. Becton Jr., former chief executive officer and superintendent of the D.C. public schools.</br></br>Before taking up their work in the District, these men had climbed the heights of their chosen professions. Brimmer was one of the leading economists in the United States and a member of the Federal Reserve Board. Becton had retired, after 40 years of service, as a U.S. Army lieutenant general. Both Brimmer and Becton are members of what Thomas Jefferson called that "natural aristocracy," based not upon birth but upon "virtue and talents."</br></br>Brimmer and Becton volunteered for arduous and time-consuming positions in our community in a time of troubles. They did this not for recognition, of which each already had received a full measure, but because they hoped to make a difference. And they did make a difference.</br></br>Brimmer helped put the District on the road to recovery and reform. Changing the city's course was like turning a battleship in a storm, but his firm hand on the helm managed to bring the ship around. Likewise, Becton laid the groundwork for a better school system, which he left to the control of his chosen successor, Arlene Ackerman.</br></br>The Bible says that a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country. Although neither Becton nor Brimmer would claim the mantle of prophet, each in his own way blazed a trail for others to follow toward a better future for the District. As the Bible also says, men such as these are "the glory of their times." They need no defense from me.