Wheaton grad accepts Bush cabinet position, taking Wheaton student to Washington with her
December 22, 2000
[NORTON, Mass.] ---Christine Todd Whitman, Governor of New Jersey and a 1968 graduate of Wheaton College, has accepted an offer from President-elect George W. Bush to join his cabinet as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, a change that will move Wheaton student Fred Marck's internship from Trenton, New Jersey to Washington, D.C.
Fred Marcks 02 is the first recipient of the college's Christine Todd Whitman '68 Fellowship in Public Service, a fellowship named in honor of the governor's longtime commitment to public service. Marcks began his internship last summer in the New Jersey governor's office of policy and planning and will continue his work with Whitman through next summer.
"I join other members of the Wheaton community in congratulating Governor Whitman on her EPA appointment," Marcks said upon learning of her cabinet appointment. "We are all very proud of what she has accomplished and look forward to much success at the EPA over the next several years." He added, "I can say firsthand that I have a great deal of faith in Governor Whitman's abilities. The environment is a critical policy area that deserves her full attention and I trust the Governor's ability to make this country a healthy place in which to live, work and raise a family."
Like Governor Whitman before him, Marcks is president of the Wheaton Young Republicans and a political science major. A town meeting representative in his hometown of Chelmsford, Mass., he was, at the time of his election, the youngest elected official in the state. "For me, the public service standard was set at a very young age, with both of my parents involved in local politics," he said. Marcks is also president of the student government association at Wheaton.
Marcks and Whitman met in November of 1999 when Whitman said, "For a young person, an internship is one of the best ways to discover the enormous satisfaction and value of public service. Wheaton is giving Fred a great opportunity, but it is also giving my administration the benefit of having a bright, talented Wheaton student in our midst."
Wheaton Professor of Political Science Jay Goodman taught both Fred Marcks and Governor Whitman at Wheaton. He recalled her aspirations as a student in the 60s. "Even then she had an extraordinary background and interest in politics," he said. "President Eisenhower encouraged her to pursue a career in politics, and in fact, if you look at the footage from the 1956 Republican National Convention, you'll see her up there with Eisenhower." He added, "I can think of no one in her generation who is more qualified to be in a cabinet position. In fact, I believe she is incredibly qualified to be president, and perhaps someday she will."