During his 40-year career at the George Washington University, University Police Department Lt. George Brittle has witnessed every United States president come through the Foggy Bottom Campus—from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. He has served under seven different police chiefs, watched parking lots transform into academic buildings and worked to keep the GW community safe for four decades.
“People ask if I would trade it—no, I wouldn’t. This place is my second home,” said Lt. Brittle, who has plans to retire in 2018. “I hope these next four years take a long time before they get here.”
Lt. Brittle was among the staff members honored at the 2014 Career Milestone Awards ceremonies held last Tuesday and Thursday in the Marvin Center. More than 400 employees were recognized for milestones ranging from five to 45 years of service at GW.
“We’re recognizing the dedication and the commitment of the university’s long-serving staff, who have played a very important role in helping the university progress and move forward,” said Vice President for Human Resources Sabrina Ellis. “I think they have witnessed a phenomenal transformation at GW, and they have been a part of it.”
Change was the overarching theme of Thursday’s ceremony, which recognized those who have worked at the university for 20 years and up. Lt. Brittle said the Foggy Bottom Campus bares little resemblance to the GW he remembers when he was hired in 1970s, when offices were tucked inside of townhouses and basketball games were played at Fort Myer’s Conmy Hall.
While the university has undergone significant changes in the past 50 years, George Washington President Steven Knapp acknowledged that its growth and development has only been made possible by the honorees at Thursday’s ceremony—they have laid down the foundation that the future of the university can be built upon.
“We have to acknowledge that everything we see around us bears your fingerprints,” Dr. Knapp said. “We are creating the future of this nation; we are creating the future of the world. And yet, it’s really important that while we do that, we pause from time to time, and really take stock in how far we come and really recognize the contributions that so many people have made to put us in that position.”
Lt. Brittle and Lenore Miller, director of university art galleries, were each honored on stage on Thursday, as they were two of four employees who were celebrating 40 years of service at GW.
With a starting salary of just $2.39 an hour, Lt. Brittle joined the University Police Department in 1973. During his tenure, he had the chance to meet celebrities like Bob Hope and Jane Fonda, and he recalls the time he jumped in a pool to save an undergraduate—even though he didn’t know how to swim. When he was asked to join the New York Police Department in 1976, he turned it down. And he hasn’t looked back since.
“GW just has a good atmosphere. That’s what I tell the young officers when they come on board,” he said. “Overall, I just really like being around the students.”
Ms. Miller enrolled in the MFA program at GW, with a concentration in print making, after working for a year at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
“I realized that the glass ceiling was there, and I needed to get a master’s degree to move forward in the art field,” she said.
After receiving her degree, she eventually became a secretary to the curator in the Dimock Gallery at GW and then became the curator. As the Brady Gallery’s director and chief curator for the past 14 years, Ms. Miller takes care of GW’s permanent collection and has overseen hundreds of temporary art exhibitions over the years, in addition to lecturing in the Department of Fine Arts.
One of her fondest memories during her career was when she was selected to decorate President Ronald Reagan’s hospital suite when he was admitted to the GW Hospital in March 1981, Provost Steve Lerman told the attendees at Thursday’s ceremony.
“GW is a place where I can combine being a curator and teacher, where I can reach out to people in arts and education,” Ms. Miller said. “It really is a community here.”
Patricia Cleary, Sarah Leach and George Peterson Jr. were recognized for 45 years of service at GW. Though they were unable to attend the ceremony, their names were met with overwhelming applause.
Ms. Ellis gave a special mention to Joyce Jeffress, graduate student services coordinator in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who reached her 25-year milestone and will be retiring this year. Ms. Jeffress said that though she is not a mom, she has many children at university. Ms. Ellis also recognized Jose Guzman, a carpenter in Facilities Services who has worked at GW for 20 years. Mr. Guzman, originally from El Salvador, barely spoke English when he started in the grounds crew. Ms. Ellis said he is “astounded” by the level of diversity he’s seen at the university.
“I know you all have amazing stories,” Ms. Ellis said in closing. “You’ve been part of the history of this university.”