November 2025 eBulletin Now Available

Dear Fellows:

The celebration of the College’s 75^th Anniversary ended on Saturday night, October 11, 2025, in the stunningly beautiful National Building Museum, when Richard H. Deane, Jr. took the stage for the last time as President. Rick has been a diligent servant to the College for over a decade, serving as State Chair of Georgia and Regent for Region 7, then making his way through the officer ranks to become President. He brought wisdom, patience, the ability to forge consensus, class, excellent judgment, and a deep-seated love for the College to the office. He was the right person to lead the College during its diamond anniversary year.

As I mentioned during my remarks that Saturday evening in Washington, D.C., the College’s 2023-24 strategic planning process made it clear that our Fellows expect more of the College than having a prestigious honor added to one’s obituary. For example, our Fellows demand that the College take a more active role in speaking out on matters that impact the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. Immediate Past President Deane and the Board of Regents helped put that plan into action during his term, with the College adding its voice to the public discourse on matters affecting one or both of those topics.

The coming year, which includes the 2026 mid-term federal elections and expected rulings from the United States Courts of Appeal and Supreme Court, will likely give rise to more occasions when the College may be asked to speak out on issues related to the rule of law and judicial independence. As in the past, the Executive Committee must weigh each opportunity carefully, always mindful that we are a nonpartisan organization. When we speak out, we must continue to do so thoughtfully, and without partisanship. We should not hesitate to call out threats to judicial independence or the rule of law, regardless of which of the United States’ political parties they come from. We must be prepared to defend our decisions – to those Fellows who may disagree both with our decision to speak out and with the words we choose. Likewise, we must be ready to explain our decision not to speak when some Fellows believe we should have.

My wife, Joy, and I are excited for the opportunity to serve the College in the upcoming year. Joy has kindly agreed to put her normal life on hold and hit the road with me (and without her precious dog, Lincoln) to traverse the United States and Canada, meeting our Fellows and their spouses. We hope we will be able to see each of you during one or more of those trips. Both of us are committed to giving our best and doing so in a way that brings honor to the College.

John A. Day
President

To read the full eBulletin, click here.