Academy of Honor recognizes accomplished Alabamians

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – The nation’s defense secretary and a pioneering social justice activist are among new members of the Alabama Academy of Honor.

Nine people were inducted Thursday for their service to the state and nation.

The 2020 honorees are: Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, former U.S. Congressman Jo Bonner, retired Maj. Gen. J. Gary Cooper, a decorated Vietnam veteran and the first Black officer in the Marine Corps to lead an infantry company into combat.

The 2021 honorees are U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Huntsville attorney Julian Butler, retired judge John England Jr., former Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson, Grammy-award-winning recording artist Lionel Richie, and UAB’s Senior Vice President of Medicine Dr. Selwyn Vickers.

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12/9/2021 6:44:07 PM (GMT -6:00)