Wayne Williams was a  junior at Brigham Young University in 1985 when he was  awarded a Truman Scholarship, given to students because of their “leadership potential and interest in government and public service.”

Did they get it right?

Well, Williams would go on to become chairman of the Colorado Springs Housing Authority and the El Paso County Republican Party,  serve two terms as a county commissioner and one term as clerk and recorder. Then in 2014 he was elected Colorado’s secretary of state with more votes than any other SOS candidate in state history.

And on Tuesday, Williams participated in the 40th anniversary of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. Two very different kinds of secretaries of state, Madeleine Albright and John Kerry, hosted a reception in Washington.

The U.S. secretary of state is appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate and is the president’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Colorado secretary of state collects, secures and makes accessible a wide variety of public records, ensures the integrity of elections and enhances commerce.

“Across the nation,  Truman Scholars work to make America a better place to live and be free. I’m proud to be part of this group and I’ve been blessed by a family willing to support my efforts,” Williams said after the event.

“I particularly enjoyed Truman Scholars discussing their work to accomplish things, to get things done. As shown by our passing eight separate bills that we initiated through a divided legislature, we are making that a reality right here in Colorado.”

Here’s what Williams  posted on his Facebook page before the event:

“Looking forward to celebrating the legacy of a president who stood up to America’s enemies and oversaw the Berlin Airlift, the defense of South Korea, and the formation of NATO. He also stood up for America’s allies, recognizing Israel minutes after its formation and overseeing the Marshall Plan.’

“Like me, he began as a county elected official – Missouri’s equivalent of a county commissioner. I was honored to be named a Harry S. Truman Scholar in 1985.”

The Truman Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 and reflects President Truman’s desire, toward the end of his life, not to be honored by a bricks and mortar monument but rather by a living memorial that would act as a catalyst of support for future generations of public servants, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of State.

Said Williams: “On his inauguration as governor, Ronald Reagan noted that ‘Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction.’ Recognizing this principle, President Truman wanted his memorial to be new generations willing to serve our communities, states, and nation.”

Also participating in Tuesday’s symposium for the anniversary were the following Truman scholars: Jeffrey Tobbin, with CNN and the New Yorker; National Security Adviser Susan Rice and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

Kerry quoted Truman’s inaugural address in 1949: “We are aided by all who wish to live in freedom from fear. by all who want relief from lies and propaganda, by all who long for economic security, by all who desire freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to live their lives for useful ends.”

“It’s appropriate that we come here together for this 40th anniversary, because I think in many ways this reflects our coming together in lots of ways,” Kerry said.

“As many of you know, Harry Truman was Madeleine’s first president, then the commander-in-chief, when the ship carrying her family sailed around the Statue of Liberty and she arrived on these shores. And she was forced to emigrate because the communists in Czechoslovakia had made it impossible for small-d democrats to live freely in their native land. And it was under President Truman that NATO was then formed to defend against the Soviet bloc,” he said.

“So it was only right that when the Cold War ended and the Czech Republic, along with Poland and Hungary, joined NATO, they did so in a ceremony at the Truman Library in Missouri presided over by Madeleine Albright. Pretty significant turn of events and of history.”

Also on Tuesday, Williams visited with Colorado’s two U.S. senators, Republican Cory Gardner and Democrat Michael Bennet, and their chiefs of staffs, Chris Hansen and Jonathan Davidson, respectively. One topic of discussion: the debate in Colorado over primary vs. caucus.

To read more posts by Lynn Bartels, visit her official blog at the Colorado Secretary of State website.