Thomas P. Gallagher \'62, recipient of the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award, discusses his life, his career at the U.S. State Department, and his role as the first openly gay man in the Foreign Service. About Monmouth University Monmouth University offers its students a dynamic and varied academic environment with abundant opportunities to learn, adapt, and grow both personally and professionally. The University offers innovative academic programs, and qualified students can undertake anything from hands-on scientific research to global community service. A dedicated, caring, and distinguished faculty ensures learning is active and lively. Small classes, which allow for individual attention and student-faculty dialogue, together with purposeful academic advising and intensive career counseling, are hallmarks of the Monmouth experience. Monmouth University is listed in the Princeton Review\'s Best Colleges and U.S. News & World Report\'s \"America\'s Best Colleges.\" Monmouth\'s student body is diverse, with a combined population of approximately 4,500 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students. The University\'s curriculum is in touch with today\'s globally oriented, technological society and offers challenging and innovative degree programs that interface with social and political issues. Students in all majors acquire a breadth of knowledge beyond their fields of study, including an appreciation of world culture. Monmouth University also emphasizes writing, public speaking, and other skills that are critical to personal and professional success. Additionally, Monmouth requires all students to fulfill an experiential education component that is a real-world experience related to the student\'s interests.