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Doctor Jack Hawkins Jr., Chancellor of Troy University, discussed diversity and service’s importance to his legacy as an educator during an appearance on the podcast Alabama Politics this Week.
Hawkins, who has served as chancellor at Troy since 1989, is the longest-serving chief executive of a public university in the United States.
During the appearance, Hawkins, discussed his experiences serving in the Vietnam War—where he served in the United States Marine Corp from 1968 to 1969—and his later work at Troy to establish educational programs in Vietnam.
“When I left, I never intended to go back,” Hawkins said, reflecting on his time spent serving in Vietnam. Hawkins found himself in Vietnam again in 2002, working to establish academic programs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Mihn City in collaboration with Troy.
As a result of the connections Hawkins helped establish, Troy became the first American university to awards a bachelor’s degree to a student in Vietnam in 2008.
Hawkins reported that since then, over 2,000 Vietnamese students have received diplomas from Troy, with around 1,200 students in the country currently enrolled at the university.
“Something really unique happened in 2017. I was in the country and was invited to have dinner with a gentleman who had established a private university in Da Nang,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins soon discovered that the man, Dr. Lê Công Cơ had fought in the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Despite fighting on opposite sides of the war, Hawkins and Co established a partnership between Troy and Duy Tan University, the largest private university in central Vietnam.
“It has moved along very, very well,” Hawkins remarked, saying that Troy now has students enrolled in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.
The relationship between Hawkins and Cơ is now the subject of a documentary film entitled, “Beyond a War: Wars begin and end but love and relationships last forever.”
The film, commissioned by Cơ’s family, was shown for the first time in the Vietnamese Central Highlands in late 2023 and was shown on Vietnamese national television for the first time in January 2024.
Hawkins said that after a screening of the film, former Vietnamese President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc called Cơ’s daughter and said the film needs to be shown in both Vietnam and the United States, saying that it contained, “an element of reconciliation seldom seen.”
Since then, the film has also been endorsed by the board of Vietnam Veterans of America.
The American premier of “Beyond a War” is set for Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. at Montgomery’s Davis Center for the Performing Arts.
Hawkins said that among the premiere’s speakers will be Jack McManus, chairman of the board of Vietnam Veterans of America, and Captain Gary Michael Rose, a recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Discussing his inspirations for Troy’s collaborations with Vietnamese universities, Hawkins said, “When I arrived in Troy, we were in 10 countries, 26 military bases throughout Europe.”
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, however, and the downsizing of the U.S. military presence in Europe, Hawkins said the university decided to reposition its global presence, seeing more of a future in Asia.
During his time at Troy, Hawkins has also worked to expand the opportunities provided international students on the university campus and opportunities for Troy students to study abroad.
Hawkins reported that when he began working at Troy, the university had only forty international students. By the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Troy’s international students represented 75 countries with over 400 students from China alone.
Every Troy student is also eligible for a $1,250 a year scholarship to study abroad, an opportunity Hawkins said, “has enabled so many kids who would have never gone outside the country to have that international experience.”
“Our goal though, was to graduate globally competitive students. I don’t think you can be globally competitive if you’re not globally aware,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins expressed his belief that Troy’s growth into a more multicultural university has enriched the lives of its students and instilling in them an appreciation for diversity, saying, “One of our great challenges in America and in particular in the Deep South has been ignorance—ignorance of each other. I am convinced when we understand differences we can find appreciation in those differences, and that’s been our philosophy at Troy.”
“When you bring students together from all over the world, they have an opportunity to understand, which always precedes appreciation. Then relationships are formed in a very natural sort of way,” Hawkins said. “That’s why I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to see happen in Troy. There’s diversity that’s unequalled on most college campuses across this country and it’s healthy.”
Hawkins continued, “People are not being forced to know each other. They know each other through contact. It’s like a beautiful piece of fabric made up of different colors of thread not only is it a lot more interesting but it’s a lot stronger.”
Alabama Politics This Week host David Person asked Hawkins how he developed such a progressive stance on diversity in a state that has historically restricted diverse voices and has recently been subject to a wave of fear and prejudice regarding incoming Haitian immigrants. Hawkins credited his time in the Marines, saying his service made him appreciate the ability for connection among diverse groups.
“I became a platoon leader, arrived in Vietnam and my platoon was about 25, 30 percent African American, about 15 percent Latino and the rest Caucasians. What you learn in a situation like that, all of those, prejudicial feelings, there’s no room in a situation like we were in. And you realize, not to add a sea story here, but all blood flows red,” Hawkins said. “All blood flows red. I know, all of us want the same thing. I’m convinced of that. We want opportunities for our families. We want opportunities for ourselves. We want to be treated fairly.”
When asked by Alabama Politics This Week host Josh Moon if he’d considered the vastness of the impact he’s had in promoting education across the globe, Hawkins replied, “You go through life, and you do what you believe in, and I certainly believe in service. I believe in the need for leadership. You know, it was Thomas Jefferson who said, ‘one of the greatest challenges we’ll face in the preservation of this delicate thing called a democracy,’ and it is delicate, ‘is the shortage of leaders with integrity, ability, and vision.’”
Hawkins, who announced his plans to retire as Troy’s chancellor on Sept. 3, was asked unanimously to reconsider during Sept. 21 meeting of the Troy University Board of Trustees. Hawkins announced that he would no longer be retiring on Sept. 24.
