Eulogy by the Rev. William Sloane Coffin Jr. at a Justin Morrill symposium in 1998. Coffin speaks about the standards set by Senator Morrill and his faith in the basic goodness he sensed in the citizens of the United States. 

At 11pm on December 31st, 1999, noted theologian and Strafford resident William Sloane Coffin Jr. inspired those attending a Millenium gathering at Town House with words of inspiration.

Justin Morrill once included a provision in a bill to make the Ompompanoosuc River navigable for ocean liners. Unfortunately, many of the senators did not get his Vermont sense of humor and were willing to vote for the bill.

This reconciliation, after a period of bitter civil strife, and the resulting belief in inclusion and respect for differences, has set the tone in Strafford up until this day. It is an example that, in these troubled times, we might want to replicate on a broader scale. Reprinted from Vermont Digger Feb 20 2022