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Ferrell wins Thomas Jefferson Award; cited for service to university, faculty

CHAPEL HILL -- Unsung no more. Joseph Ferrell, who has quietly gone about building a Carolina career devoted to the mission of higher education and the service of his state, was honored by his University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill peers at the April 25 Faculty Council meeting with the presentation of the 2003 Thomas Jefferson Award.

Ferrell, Albert Coates professor of public law and government in the School of Government, joined the University faculty in 1964 as an assistant professor of public law and government, his first position after earning bachelor's and law degrees at Carolina and a master of laws degree at Yale University. Along with rising through the faculty to his current rank, Ferrell has served as secretary of the faculty since 1996.

The annual Thomas Jefferson Award, which includes a monetary prize, was created in 1961 by the Robert Earll McConnell Foundation to honor a faculty member who "through personal influence and performance of duty in teaching, writing and scholarship has best exemplified the ideals and objectives of Thomas Jefferson."

Candidates are nominated by Carolina faculty, and a seven-member Faculty Committee on Honorary Degrees selects the winner.

In his letter nominating Ferrell, Boka W. Hadzija, professor in the School of Pharmacy, said Ferrell "exemplifies all the qualities described for the (Jefferson) award."

"He has discharged all the three duties with excellence for almost 40 years at UNC Chapel Hill," Hadzija said. "Joe Ferrell is a well-known figure on the UNC campus, in our communities, in the state of North Carolina and nationally."

Ferrell boasts an outstanding teaching career, Hadzija said, but "his strength is emphasized in his numerous writings and publications where he reached great prominence."

Ferrell's publication credits include numerous articles and books, such as "The General Assembly of

North Carolina: A Handbook for Legislators." He also served several stints as editor of the "Daily Bulletin: Actions by the North Carolina General Assembly," issued by the Institute of Government, an arm of the School of Government.

From his base at the school, Ferrell has served the state as an instructor, consultant and scholar to the Legislative Research Commission, which included work on the revision of the North Carolina Constitution. He served as staff counsel to the House and Senate Committees on Local Government, one of his scholarly specialties.

This work on behalf of local and state government agencies has been "consistent and vital over many years," according to Ferrell's award citation, a sentiment Hadzija echoed.

"One has to look at the list of activities and publications to see Professor Ferrell’s knowledge, excellence and expertise," he said.

Hadzija and the award citation also praised Ferrell, in his role as faculty secretary, for his impact on administrative offices at the University and noted that he has been a member of the Committee on University Government since 1974 and was its chair from 1978 to 1985 and 1992 to 1995.

"It is no exaggeration to say that Joe has had a helpful hand in almost all faculty legislation during this period," the citation said.

The citation called Ferrell's 1996 election as secretary of the faculty the "capstone of his career of service to the faculty and to this University."

"Joe’s knowledge of the interstices of our instrument of government, of faculty legislation, of our traditions of faculty self-governance, of the rules and precedents is guided by his finely honed sense of justice and fairness," the citation said. "His unfailing good humor and ingenious savvy make him a resourceful and approachable secretary.

"He is our virtual 'memory of the firm.'"

Ferrell's University committee work also includes serving on panels such as the SPA Employees Grievance Committee in 1969 and chairing the Task Force on Administrative Processes, part of a 1994 University Self-Study. More recently, in 2002, he chaired the Search Committee for Campus Historic Preservation Officer.

"There is no doubt that Professor Ferrell is one of the strongest faculty (members) at UNC with a modest personality, working behind the scenes for almost 40 years and receiving insufficient praise and acknowledgement for his work," Hadzija said.

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Photo url: http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/faculty/ferrell_joe.jpg

Contact: Mike McFarland, (919) 962-2091.