Eric Motley by Zoom on 16 March

Wed, Mar 16th 2022 at 12:50 pm - 2:00 pm

"Incidents, Accidents, Providence" The Journey to St Andrews and Back Again by a Rotary International Scholar known to many of our members.

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Eric Motley was a familiar face for many Rotarians when he spoke to the Club by Zoom from Washington, DC. 

Eric came to St Andrews on a Rotary International scholarship in 1996 and left as Dr Motley a few years later. During his stay he immersed himself in the life of town as well as gown. Everyone who met him reckoned he would go far, and he has: as a Presidential Assistant at the White House, then in a senior role at the Aspen Institute and now as Deputy Director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Eric’s success is all the more remarkable because his life began as an adoptee in a small community in rural Alabama – Madison Park – founded by freed slaves after the American Civil War. ‘Madison Park’ is also the name of Eric’s personal memoir, published in 2017. 
The book is subtitled ‘A Place of Hope’ and Eric’s optimistic outlook on life shone throughout his talk. Despite all the hardships and prejudice suffered by Black Alabamans, Eric’s adoptive grandparents taught him to see opportunities rather than obstacles and to have faith in providence. 

Barbara and Wilson Sibbett were Eric’s Rotarian hosts when he first arrived in St Andrews from Alabama and he has amply justified their faith in his potential.Eric gained a PhD in International Relations while with us in St Andrews. His host Rotarian was Wilson Sibbett.

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