By Barry McNamara

Safford Peacock, an emeritus trustee of Monmouth College, was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in June in Washington, D.C. The award is one of the highest given by the Secretary of Defense to a private citizen.

Peacock, who joined Monmouth College’s board of trustees in 1979 and was its chairman from 1984 to 1991, was recognized primarily for his work with the National Defense University (NDU) Foundation, where he served from 1995 to 2007, including five years as chairman of the board. Prior to joining the foundation, Peacock served 16 years with the Defense Orientation Conference Association (DOCA), including two years as president and another two as chairman. The DOCA’s objectives include providing a means of continuing education of its members in matters pertaining to national security under the jurisdiction and supervision of the Departments of Defense and State.

An accredited graduate level university in Washington, D.C., the NDU is the nation’s premier joint professional military education institution. Its students include mid-career U.S. military officers, career officers from other branches of government, including the state department, and civilians from U.S. industry. Also among its students are the International Fellows Group representing mid-level career officers from more than 50 countries. These students serve at the invitation of the U.S. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. That invitation is extended to the respective governments to recommend appropriate candidates.

The foundation’s primary objective is to establish private sector support through grants and donations to enhance the university’s teaching, research and outreach capabilities for which appropriated or other congressional funding are not available.

According to its Web site, “foundation directors are patriotic citizens who serve without compensation and devote their efforts to helping NDU enhance its level of excellence in national security education.”

When asked to elaborate on being a patriotic citizen, Peacock replied, “Part of it is you do something rather than just talking about doing it. It’s part of you.”

Another element of being patriotic, he said, stems from his travels connected to his time with the DOCA, which saw him visit nearly 30 countries.

“Just doing that, I got such a profound respect for the men and women of the armed forces and what they’re doing,” Peacock said. “The more I traveled, the more I realized what a wonderful country we have and how blessed we are to live here.”

Peacock’s medal citation reads, in part, “as an advocate for the university, he raised funds from corporations and individuals, as well as donating his time and financial support to ensure the success of the university’s mission. His dedicated service in support of the university’s international student program helped fund projects ranging from cultural tours to English language instruction. The distinctive accomplishments of Mr. Peacock reflect great credit upon himself, the National Defense University, the National Defense University Foundation and the Department of Defense.”

A native of Monmouth, Peacock graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1950. He then served with the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps before working from 1953 to 1977 at Myers Industries, Inc., in Lincoln, Ill., retiring as vice president and general manager. He then began a new career as a self-employed investment manager in Lincoln, where he and his wife, Betty, have lived for 55 years. They now divide their time between Illinois, Colorado and Arizona.

Peacock’s connection to Monmouth College dates back to both of his parents attending the school in the early 1900s. He received an honorary degree from Monmouth in 1991 following his tenure as board chairman. A decade ago, a memorial gift he, his wife and his brother, Chris Peacock, made in his parents’ honor allowed the college to construct Peacock Memorial Athletic Park, which is home to the Fighting Scots’ baseball and soccer teams.