WASHINGTON, DC – At a May 5th dinner at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, five leading voices in Republican party politics and American public policy were presented with The Ripon Society’s 2nd Annual Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Award — an honor that was established to recognize those who embody the qualities that TR spoke of when he famously said: “The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena.”

“This is the second year we have held this Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Awards dinner,” stated Jim Conzelman, the President & CEO of The Ripon Society, in remarks to open the dinner.  “We established this Award with one premise in mind – namely, that there is a lot of good, thoughtful work being done in Washington and on Capitol Hill that people do not regularly hear about.

“With trust in government at an all-time low, we believe it is important that Americans not only learn about this work, but learn more about the individuals who are responsible for getting it done.”

To that end, Conzelman stated, the Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Award honors those leaders:

Who have a sense of duty and service driven by a love of country;

Who possess a desire to do what is in the best interests of the American people – regardless of party, and regardless of who gets the credit; and,

Who embody the qualities that Theodore Roosevelt spoke of when he said: “The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, who strive valiantly; who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spend themselves in a worthy cause; who at best know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if they fail, fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

“The five leaders we honor tonight embody these qualities and more,” Conzelman said. “Between them, they have over 80 years of service at every level of government, both here at home and abroad. Individually, they have made their mark in many important ways.  On behalf of the membership of The Ripon Society, it is an honor to recognize them now for their leadership, their service, and their many contributions over the course of their careers.”

“We established this Award with one premise in mind – namely, that there is a lot of good, thoughtful work being done in Washington and on Capitol Hill that people do not regularly hear about.”

According to Conzelman, the leaders honored at the dinner included:

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who made history in 2014 by becoming the first woman elected to the Senate from the State of West Virginia and now serves as Senate Co-Chair of The Ripon Society’s Honorary Congressional Advisory Board; U.S. Congresswoman Renee Ellmers, who spent two decades working as a nurse before her election to the House in 2010 and now serves as House Co-Chair of the Society’s Honorary Congressional Advisory Board; U.S. Congresswoman Susan Brooks, who was elected to the House in 2012 and previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis; U.S. Congresswoman Ann Wagner, who was also elected to the House in 2012 and previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg; and, The Honorable Connie Morella, who represented the 8th District of Maryland from 1987 to 2003, served as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation from 2003 to 2007, and now serves, among her many roles, as Chair of The Ripon Society’s partner organization, the Franklin Center for Global Policy Exchange.

The dinner was held in Freedom Hall of the George W. Bush Presidential Center.  The dinner was preceded by a tour of the Center, which features historical exhibits from the eight years of the Bush Administration.  The exhibits include a piece of the World Trade Center and an exact replica of the Oval Office as it appeared during the Bush Presidency.

Conzelman noted that this was the second year The Ripon Society has presented the Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Awards.  He added that last year’s awards dinner was held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, and that next year’s awards dinner is scheduled to be held in New York and feature a visit to Theodore Roosevelt’s historic estate at Sagamore Hill.

The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.

To view photos from The Ripon Society’s 2nd Annual Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Awards Dinner, please click here.