The John Deaver Drinko Academy at Marshall University was founded in April of 1994. In establishing the Academy, John and Elizabeth Drinko set forth two principal objectives.
The first was to foster better public understanding of the writing and ratification of the U.S. Constitution in order to encourage greater levels of citizen participation in our democratic system of self-government.
The second was to create a body of Distinguished Drinko Fellows composed of highly accomplished members of the Marshall University faculty.
Because John Drinko repeatedly attributed his success in life to the excellent education he had received at Marshall, he conceptualized the Academy’s Distinguished Drinko Fellows program as a way of repaying a debt to the institution.
In 2019, the Drinko Academy celebrated its 25th Anniversary. To view the Drinko@25 public service announcement, click here.
In its nearly thirty years of service to the university and the community, the Drinko Academy has championed the idea that democratic societies depend upon citizens’ collective commitment to the rule of law, to thoughtful and reasoned debate, and to active and informed participation in self-government.
Over the years, the Drinko Academy has established an impressive record of program support and development, special event organization, sponsorship of scholarship, creative work, and community projects. Our current focus is on civic literacy and civil discourse initiatives, especially those that engage Marshall’s students in activities and practices that advance the culture of democracy.
Our Mission: to support Marshall University programming that advances civic literacy and civil discourse and to celebrate free speech, intellectual integrity, and creative expression.
Our Vision: civic culture reinvigorated; exemplary faculty achievement rewarded.
The Drinko Academy has received the following awards and recognitions:
- Named a Center of Excellence at Marshall University by former President J. Wade Gilley in 1994
- Recipient of the Secretary of Labor’s Exemplary Voluntary Efforts (EVE) Award. Presented by the Honorable Robert B. Reich, September 27, 1995
- Recipient of a John Templeton Foundation Character Development Award, 1998
- Selected as a National Free Institution Model Program by the Association for the Study of Free Institutions and Free Societies, 2004
- Designated an Oasis of Excellence program by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, 2018
- Designated a Free to Teach, Free to Learn program by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, 2019
Dr. John Deaver Drinko (1921-2008)
B.A., Marshall College, 1942
J.D., The Ohio State University, 1944
Dr. Elizabeth Gibson Drinko (1922-2010)
B.A., Westminster College, 1944
John and Elizabeth Drinko, founders of the John Deaver Drinko Academy for American Political Institutions and Civic Culture at Marshall University
Dr. Alan B. Gould (1938-2019), founding Executive Director
of the Drinko Academy
Tribute Video
Memorial Service
Marshall Magazine tribute