LIBERTY BELL AWARD
LIBERTY BELL AWARD
The Liberty Bell Award recognizes individuals or organizations who promote understanding of our form of government , encourage greater respect for law and the courts , and stimulate a deeper sense of responsibility on the part of citizens regarding their duties as well as their rights .
Brenna ( Daugherty ) Gerhardt hails from Center , N . D . She attended Concordia College , Moorhead , Minn ., studying religion , psychology , and classical studies before receiving a master of theological studies from Harvard Divinity School . An advocate for thoughtful and informed citizenship , her core values are kindness , humility , good faith engagement , intellectual curiosity , and the free exchange of ideas .
Gerhardt joined Humanities North Dakota in 2005 . The lifelong learning nonprofit partners with the Center for Civic Education to support the We the People : The Citizen and the Constitution civics education program . This foundational curriculum covers the history and principles of constitutional democracy in the United States . Each year , We the People culminates in a statewide competition with simulated congressional hearings where students testify before a panel of judges acting as members of Congress . From the philosophical underpinnings and Constitutional Convention to the
Bill of Rights and modern-day implications , students are judged on their understanding , reasoning , responsiveness , and use of constitutional applications .
Before Humanities North Dakota began funding the program , a group of dedicated teachers ran it voluntarily . When they approached Gerhardt about fundraising for and running the program , she eagerly agreed . A core group of teachers across the state continues to serve on a steering committee to ensure local control . In addition to the competition , Humanities North Dakota hosts a We the People Teacher Institute , connecting high school social studies teachers from across the state with constitutional scholars and each other .
Gerhardt is an active member of the Bismarck Rotary Club , where she runs its youth foreign exchange program in partnership with Rotary International . She also proudly belongs to the AJ chapter of Philanthropic Educational Organization ( PEO ).
MEMORIALS The following lawyers who passed away in the last year were remembered with a moment of silence .
LaRoy Baird ( 08 / 11 / 1948 - 05 / 21 / 2024 )
Bruce E . Bohlman ( 04 / 22 / 1939 - 06 / 27 / 2023 )
William J . Brudvik ( 10 / 01 / 1946 - 08 / 22 / 2023 )
William Delmore ( 10 / 22 / 1948 – 05 / 30 / 2024 )
Sharon Ann Gallagher ( 1951 - 12 / 03 / 2023 )
Charles J . Gilje ( 02 / 02 / 1942 - 11 / 25 / 2023 )
Hon . Richard W . Goldberg ( 1927 - 07 / 18 / 2023 )
Robin Lynn Thompson Gordon ( 01 / 04 / 1964 - 11 / 23 / 2023 )
Michael Ray Hoffman ( 08 / 01 / 1955 - 09 / 16 / 2023 )
Carlton “ Mike ” J . Hunke ( 05 / 26 / 1943 - 08 / 10 / 2023 )
Loren D . Jones ( 05 / 08 / 1957 - 10 / 08 / 2023 )
Marjorie “ Maggie ” Ruth Kohls ( 07 / 12 / 1946 - 02 / 03 / 2024 )
Gary W . Lawrence ( 01 / 24 / 1943 - 11 / 12 / 2023 )
Michael D . McNair ( 1945 - 02 / 10 / 2024 )
Irvin B . Nodland ( 1935 - 11 / 11 / 2023 )
Hon . Thomas Richard Olson ( 10 / 09 / 1952 - 05 / 24 / 2024 )
Phyllis Ann Ratcliffe ( 05 / 30 / 1933 - 02 / 05 / 2024 )
Hon . Burt L . Riskedahl ( 09 / 08 / 1940 - 12 / 12 / 2023 )
Joseph Daniel Roach ( 01 / 16 / 1958 - 01 / 15 / 2024 )
Clifton G . Rodenburg ( 04 / 05 / 1949 - 01 / 27 / 2024 )
William Delaney Schmidt ( 06 / 30 / 1950 - 11 / 01 / 2023 )
Tom P . Slorby ( 04 / 10 / 1948 - 09 / 08 / 2023 )
Leland M . Stenehjem , Jr . ( 09 / 16 / 1945 - 02 / 28 / 2024 )
William A . Strutz ( 05 / 13 / 1934 - 01 / 25 / 2024 )
Frederick E . Whisenand , Jr . ( 02 / 11 / 1929 - 09 / 21 / 2023 )
Albert A . Wolf ( 04 / 27 / 1931 - 07 / 24 / 2023 )
SUMMER 2024 15