SOURCE: Davidson College

Davidson College will dedicate its new Vann Center for Ethics with a day of events on Monday, Nov. 16. The celebration will begin with a dedication ceremony at 4 p.m. outside the Vann Center for Ethics, in Eumenean Hall.

At 7 p.m., Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League and leading athletic reformer, will offer brief remarks and then take questions in a discussion in Duke Family Performance Hall. This event will be moderated by David Perry, director of the Vann Center for Ethics.

Both events are open to the public. Free tickets are required for Roger Goodell’s evening presentation; tickets are limited to two per person and may be picked up at the Alvarez College Union Ticket Office weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Established with a generous gift from Lee and Jim Vann ’50, the Vann Center for Ethics serves as a catalyst for moral inquiry and imagination, careful analysis and reflection, civil dialogue and responsible action. Paraphrasing the Vann Center’s mission statement, David Perry, who came to Davidson in July as the center’s inaugural director, noted that the center is a “broad-based interdisciplinary initiative that will bring sustained focus to ethical decision-making and integrity of action, while promoting rigorous inquiry and moral reflection on local and global issues.” The center accomplishes this through curricular initiatives and co-curricular programs.

“We want to teach students to think self-critically and with clarity,” Perry added, “to make relevant and valid judgments, and to discriminate among values as they engage in lives of leadership and service.”

It was this spirit that prompted Jim and Lee Vann to establish the center two years ago, when Davidson created the Vann Center for Ethics Advisory Board to provide guidance in the development of the center. Jim Vann is the chairman of the board of Rea Magnet Wire Co., the world’s second largest producer of wire and other electrical wire products. A 1950 graduate of Davidson, he had a 36-year career with Alcoa before acquiring Rea from Alcoa in 1992.

“The world needs people who care about the ethical implications of decisions in their lives and their work,” Jim Vann said. “Colleges like Davidson (colleges that care about preparing students for leadership and service in the world) are critical to shaping the discussion around what it means to always try to do the right thing.

“Lee and I believe that the Honor Code tradition that is integral to Davidson provides a strong basis for a successful ethics program,” Jim Vann added. “We are honored to be a part of this, and we appreciate the support and commitment from President Tom Ross, the Davidson faculty and staff, and the Vann Center Advisory Board that collectively have made this happen.”

Residents of Fort Wayne, Ind., Jim and Lee Vann have been active in the life of Davidson College and in the life of their community. They established the Vann Family Scholarship at Davidson, which supports student-athletes who participate in non-revenue sports. Jim Vann is a lifetime member of Davidson’s Board of Visitors, and in 2000, he received the college’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. He has chaired the Avant Garde reunion for Davidson and served as class chair for the Annual Fund.

In Indiana, Lee and Jim Vann have established the Vann Family Foundation, which supports charitable organizations in the Fort Wayne community. Jim Vann is a board member of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne and the Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana Foundation. He also is a trustee of the University of St. Francis.

Roger Goodell has been commissioner of the NFL since September 2006. In that role, he has focused on strengthening the game and all 32 NFL franchises through innovation and communication. He has addressed a range of issues, including player health and safety, the medical needs of retired players, personal conduct, revenue sharing, stadium construction, media innovation, and international development. Goodell created the first NFL Player Advisory Council, strengthened the league’s anti-steroids policy, and launched innovative new television contracts and a new series of international regular-season games.

Prior to being named commissioner, Goodell managed an array of football and business operations during a 24-year career in the NFL.

Goodell graduated magna cum laude from Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Penn., with a degree in economics in 1981. He received the school’s Walter Hudson Baker Prize for excellence in economics. He serves on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City and Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, New York. He is also president of NFL Charities, the league’s charitable foundation.

The dedication of the Vann Center for Ethics coincides with Davidson College’s Celebration of Honor and Integrity, which marks 100 years of a
student-run honor system at the college and the 50th anniversary of the college’s Honor Council.