In 2020, Harlan Calkins, a charter member of The Alexander Hamilton Institute’s board of directors, moved into emeritus status. At the last board meeting of that year, AHI President Robert Paquette announced the creation of a summer fellowship to honor Mr. Calkins’ many contributions to AHI.
An inductee into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame, he not only supported AHI from its inception, but helped mobilize friends and members of Rochester’s business community to back the initiative. The fellowship is designed to support the work of a worthy undergraduate in the fields of business, economics, national security, entrepreneurship, and law.
AHI is pleased to announce that Austin Bullock is the recipient of the Third Annual Harlan Calkins Fellowship. He hails from Sauquoit, New York, and is the son of Eric and Colleen Bullock. He graduated from Sauquoit Valley High School in 2019 and Hamilton College in 2023.
Some of Mr. Bullock’s early collegiate achievements include a nomination to the United States Presidential Scholars Program, two Congressional Nominations, and an Appointment to the United States Military Academy. In time, Mr. Bullock found his place at Hamilton College and studied public policy. He participated on the Hamilton College football team and trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
With a keen interest in national security, he spent two summers attending The Alexander Hamilton Institute’s summer national security program in Washington, D.C. (WaPoNS) and the American Enterprise Institute’s Summer Honors Program. Throughout his senior year, Mr. Bullock coached Varsity Football and Wrestling at local area schools and completed his Hamilton College thesis examining a national security topic. Mr. Bullock will attend Syracuse University’s Maxwell School for a Master of Public Administration degree, focusing his studies in National and International Security Policy.
Dr. Juliana Pilon met Austin Bullock in the summer of 2022 when she supervised him as part of AHI’s summer national security program. “During that program,” Dr. Pilon observed, “I had ample opportunity to observe closely [Mr. Bullock] and have since stayed in touch with him regularly. He impressed me with his seriousness and intense interest in all of our activities. He truly stood out among the participants in this otherwise highly accomplished group of students. He took copious notes, asked many questions that were always informed, and was particularly deeply interested in the conversations with experts and practitioners involved in security activities as well as the leaders of nonprofit organizations, especially self-starters. He seems to me to be a serious and dedicated person as well as academically prepared and motivated.”
“Among the many achievements of Harlan Calkins distinguished career,” said AHI President Robert Paquette, “he worked in counter-intelligence for the US military.” Austin Bullock has a well-demonstrated passion in security studies, and he will go on to get his graduate degree in that field. He is most deserving of this award.”
Mr. Calkins graduated from Hamilton College in 1954 with a BA as a chemistry major. He was the chairman and CEO of Rochester Midland Corporation, a leading supplier in North America of industrial cleaners and other chemical products. He served on the boards of numerous business and philanthropic organizations, including Security Trust, Highland Hospital, the Al Sigl Foundation, and Rochester Telephone, all in Rochester, New York as well as Norstar Bank, in Buffalo, New York; and Malden Trust, in Malden, Massachusetts. At Hamilton College he was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity and DT, Was Los, and Pentagon societies. He co-captained the soccer and baseball teams. In 1956-1957, he served in the United States Army in counter-intelligence while stationed in Japan. In 2010, Mr. Calkins was inducted into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame.
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