It has been my privilege to serve in the United States Congress for the past 19 years. I had previously served in the North Carolina General Assembly for ten years. I am certain my tenure and any success I may have achieved in these institutions were directly related to my profound faith in a living and true God, my family upbringing, the community I grew up in, and my choice in pursuing a liberal arts education.
For personal reasons, I transferred from a larger school to Atlantic Christian College [now called Barton College] and the move was a positive event in my life. The opportunity to get to know my fellow students and professors on a personal basis was an experience I never would have had in a larger environment. Religion was an integral part of the curriculum and fit a need in my life at the time.
With a liberal arts education I received the practical skills necessary to think for myself, communicate effectively, and participate in lifelong learning. A liberal arts education is broad, not specialized, from many disciplines and useful for preparation in a rapidly changing world. In Congress and in my personal life, a liberal arts curriculum has taught me to use independent judgment, to think critically, and to decide issues in an ethical way.
Walter B. Jones, Jr., is U.S. Representative for North Carolina. He was first sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995, after serving ten years as an elected member of the North Carolina General Assembly. Currently serving his tenth term in Congress, he is a member of the House Committee on Armed Services.
Jones received his bachelor’s degree in history from Atlantic Christian College (Barton College) in 1967.