Doyle honored with Liberty Bell Award
NORWICH – Friday, before an audience of great judicial and law enforcement experience, a packed Chenango County Courtroom was called into special session by Judge W. Howard Sullivan to commemorate the 51st National Law Day.
During the ceremonies, the Chenango County Bar Association honored Alton B. “Coach” Doyle with the 2009 Liberty Bell Award for his lifetime community service and outstanding citizenship over the last 60 years.
Doyle told the audience that his life’s greatest achievement was recently beating lung cancer after three years of treatment.
“I’d place receiving this Liberty Bell award right up there with it,” he said.
Sullivan and Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Garry presided over the ceremony, held in tribute to the 16th U.S. President and self-taught lawyer, Abraham Lincoln.
Sullivan drew a quote form the former president to describe Doyle’s achievements. “He said ‘Whatever you are, be a good one.’”
“His life has touched many, many people,” Sullivan said of Doyle.
Doyle’s daughters, Barbara Hennessey and Kathrine Miller, took to the podium and talked about their father’s contributions to the community over his lifetime. Longtime friend Ben Nelson told the crowd that no one he ever met “had done more for other people.”
“I’m humbled by this honor,” Doyle said. “‘I don’t deserve this,’ that’s what everybody always says when they get an award – but all these people voted unanimously for me to get this award, so must be I deserve it,” joked Doyle to the laughing crowd of family members, lawyers, businessmen and students.
Doyle began his career as a teacher at Oxford Academy, where he also coached football, basketball, baseball and track. He worked closely with Oxford’s wrestling program and aided in establishing the team’s Clyde Cole Tournament.
He later became a Village of Oxford police officer and worked for the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy and sergeant. Doyle was appointed chair of the Section IV football and in 1970 he was appointed field director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. He became the program’s first executive director in 1975. Doyle served on the National Federation of State High School Association’s Executive Committee and became the federation president in 1983.
During his time with the organizations, Doyle pioneered a number of women’s sports programs that are now common in today’s youth athletics.
In 1991, he retired from teaching but continued to work closely with a number of school programs. That same year he was elected Guilford town justice. In 1993, Doyle was elected Guilford’s town supervisor. He has held the position for the last 16 years. He is also currently chairperson of the Chenango County Safety and Rules Committee and a member of the Chenango County Youth board since 1996. Doyle says he plans to retire from public office at the end of his current term.
At the event, the Bar recognized the winner of the Chenango County Mock Trial Tournament, Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton Central Schools.
The Tteam’s advisors were Mark Luettger and Claudette Newman Esq. The students participating on the team were Taylor Antczak, Katherine Bakhuizen, Tyler Fuller, Kristen Gonzalez, Calli Hill, Courtney Hillman, Alexis Lanza, Tammy Lawrence, Jesse Lee, Cody Luettger, Tyler Peck, Amber Shaffer, Jacqulyn Schaub, Gregory Talbot and Andrea Taylor.
The association also announced the recipients of the annual Chenango County Bar Association scholarship, awarded to second year law students and residents of Chenango County.
Last year’s Liberty Bell recipient was James Walter “Jim” Wright.
Wright was a life-long resident of the Norwich community, an active member of the state firemen’s association and worked professionally in the court system for the past 40 years. He was also a volunteer fireman for more than 50 years, serving in Owego and Norwich. He covered the crime beat and other happenings in Chenango County for the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin up until his death, this past March, at the age of 71.
“To steal a line from Jim Wright, who said this award was his Pulitzer, this Liberty Bell award, I also consider it perhaps my Heisman trophy,” said Doyle.
During the ceremonies, the Chenango County Bar Association honored Alton B. “Coach” Doyle with the 2009 Liberty Bell Award for his lifetime community service and outstanding citizenship over the last 60 years.
Doyle told the audience that his life’s greatest achievement was recently beating lung cancer after three years of treatment.
“I’d place receiving this Liberty Bell award right up there with it,” he said.
Sullivan and Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Garry presided over the ceremony, held in tribute to the 16th U.S. President and self-taught lawyer, Abraham Lincoln.
Sullivan drew a quote form the former president to describe Doyle’s achievements. “He said ‘Whatever you are, be a good one.’”
“His life has touched many, many people,” Sullivan said of Doyle.
Doyle’s daughters, Barbara Hennessey and Kathrine Miller, took to the podium and talked about their father’s contributions to the community over his lifetime. Longtime friend Ben Nelson told the crowd that no one he ever met “had done more for other people.”
“I’m humbled by this honor,” Doyle said. “‘I don’t deserve this,’ that’s what everybody always says when they get an award – but all these people voted unanimously for me to get this award, so must be I deserve it,” joked Doyle to the laughing crowd of family members, lawyers, businessmen and students.
Doyle began his career as a teacher at Oxford Academy, where he also coached football, basketball, baseball and track. He worked closely with Oxford’s wrestling program and aided in establishing the team’s Clyde Cole Tournament.
He later became a Village of Oxford police officer and worked for the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy and sergeant. Doyle was appointed chair of the Section IV football and in 1970 he was appointed field director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. He became the program’s first executive director in 1975. Doyle served on the National Federation of State High School Association’s Executive Committee and became the federation president in 1983.
During his time with the organizations, Doyle pioneered a number of women’s sports programs that are now common in today’s youth athletics.
In 1991, he retired from teaching but continued to work closely with a number of school programs. That same year he was elected Guilford town justice. In 1993, Doyle was elected Guilford’s town supervisor. He has held the position for the last 16 years. He is also currently chairperson of the Chenango County Safety and Rules Committee and a member of the Chenango County Youth board since 1996. Doyle says he plans to retire from public office at the end of his current term.
At the event, the Bar recognized the winner of the Chenango County Mock Trial Tournament, Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton Central Schools.
The Tteam’s advisors were Mark Luettger and Claudette Newman Esq. The students participating on the team were Taylor Antczak, Katherine Bakhuizen, Tyler Fuller, Kristen Gonzalez, Calli Hill, Courtney Hillman, Alexis Lanza, Tammy Lawrence, Jesse Lee, Cody Luettger, Tyler Peck, Amber Shaffer, Jacqulyn Schaub, Gregory Talbot and Andrea Taylor.
The association also announced the recipients of the annual Chenango County Bar Association scholarship, awarded to second year law students and residents of Chenango County.
Last year’s Liberty Bell recipient was James Walter “Jim” Wright.
Wright was a life-long resident of the Norwich community, an active member of the state firemen’s association and worked professionally in the court system for the past 40 years. He was also a volunteer fireman for more than 50 years, serving in Owego and Norwich. He covered the crime beat and other happenings in Chenango County for the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin up until his death, this past March, at the age of 71.
“To steal a line from Jim Wright, who said this award was his Pulitzer, this Liberty Bell award, I also consider it perhaps my Heisman trophy,” said Doyle.
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