Princeton University President Honored With Navy Distinguished Service Award

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber has received the U.S. Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award, the university announced this week.

The award, which is the highest civilian honor given by the Secretary of the Navy, is given to someone who has "demonstrated exceptionally outstanding service of substantial and long-term benefit" to the Navy.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus called Eisgruber “an advocate for the Navy and our service members" in his citation letter.

The University re-established its Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) in 2014. That same year, Mabus and Eisgruber launched the reinstated program during a signing ceremony on campus.

"I am pleased to recognize your outstanding contributions to the Navy and Marine Corps team," Mabus wrote to Eisgruber.

Eisgruber said he was "deeply honored" by the award, which has been given since 1951 to recognize citizens' service to the Navy, Marine Corps and the Department of the Navy as a whole.

"I accept it humbly and with the conviction that my service to the Navy is modest indeed by comparison to the courage and leadership that the men and women of the United States Navy provide to our country on a daily basis," Eisgruber said in a letter to Mabus.

The program was in existence from 1945-1971. It was relaunched in 2014 as a crosstown agreement among Princeton, the Navy and Rutgers University.

NROTC active duty Navy and Marine Corps instructors teach NROTC midshipmen on the Rutgers or Princeton campuses, giving students the opportunity to earn a commission in the United States naval service.

Patch file photo