Saint Martin's student honored for outstanding achievement
Tuesday, July 2, 2002
Lacey, Wash. - Aaron A. Goings, co-valedictorian of
the Saint Martin’s College class of 2002, is the recipient of the
College’s new Father Jerome Toner, O.S.B., Award.
The award, honoring outstanding achievement in student
activism, bears the name of a monk of Saint Martin’s Abbey who was an
internationally recognized labor scholar and activist. Known as “the
labor priest of Saint Martin’s,” Father Jerome authored a groundbreaking
study, “The Closed Shop in the American Labor Movement,” and was a
grassroots labor organizer among the downtrodden in Brooklyn, N.Y. He
was named by President Harry Truman as a delegate to the International
Labor Organization conference and shared his insights and concerns about
labor issues with both U.S. and Vatican officials. Washington Gov.
Albert Rosellini later appointed him to the state’s Human Rights
Commission, which he chaired. Although Father Jerome’s work angered many
people in power, he persisted in fighting for the dignity and rights of
workers throughout his life.
Goings won the award for his outstanding contributions
to the theory and practice of social justice and labor issues.
”Aaron’s work as an intern with the Washington State
Senate and the AFL-CIO, and his scholarly work using primary historical
documents to examine issues of free speech and labor history, carries on
in Father Jerome’s proud tradition of feather-ruffling,” said political
science department Chair Roger Snider, Ph.D.
Goings is the son of Christine and Michael Goings of
Aberdeen. He transferred from Grays Harbor College to Saint Martin’s,
where he earned a perfect 4.0 during his academic career. He graduated
with a bachelor’s degree in political science and plans to attend The
Evergreen State College, where he will continue his research before
beginning graduate school.
For more information:
July 2, 2002 Roger Snider
Associate professor, political science
360-438-4346 or rsnider@stmartin.edu
Holly Harmon
Director of communication
360-438-4332 or hharmon@stmartin.edu