The Holzman Center of Applied Ethics empowers students to engage in ethical decision-making and to act with honor, excellence and integrity at RE and beyond. The center, whose founding director is John A. King, Jr., reflects the belief that ethics and morality must be taught and reinforced so that principled decision-making becomes a way of life. 

The idea and seed funding for the center came from Steve Holzman P’21, a former Parent Chair for The Fund for RE. Mr. Holzman, a managing partner at a private equity firm, was concerned that, without a foundation in ethics and critical thinking, students of this era are ill-equipped to face growing challenges in evaluating right from wrong, differentiating fact from fiction, and making good decisions on the fly.   Attorney John O’Sullivan P’14 ’21 also offered financial, logistical, and creative support for the center. “It’s my privilege and honor to be associated with this,” says Mr. Holzman.  “I don’t think there is any question that corner cutting and cheating have increased across the spectrum. I do think we can do something about it in a positive way. This is a great pathway for Ransom Everglades. The practice of ethics must become a way of life.”

The opportunities for students through the center include an annual speakers' series, assembly presentations, roundtable discussions, an elective course in applied ethics, advisory activities, ethical leadership workshops, ethics bowl, and travel and research opportunities with our partner Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder. The center provides specific programming to help students wrestle with ethical dilemmas and consider their obligations to others, and to ensure that Ransom Everglades students enter the world understanding the importance of ethical behavior in all endeavors, and the consequences to individuals and societies when integrity and honor are sacrificed. The Holzman Center of Applied Ethics has its home in the Ransom Cottage.  Learn more about the foundational ideas for the center here.