1. John Howard, Class of 2015, is a native of Salisbury, New
Hampshire and is a graduate of Proctor Academy in Andover, NH.
At Proctor, John was valedictorian, a National Merit Scholar, and
a United States Department of Education National Presidential
Scholar semi-finalist. He captained several sports teams, including
two years as varsity soccer captain, winning MVPs and Coaches’
Awards in three different sports. At Dartmouth, John is on the
executive board of Mediation at Dartmouth, and he is Vice
President of the Dartmouth Ethics Society and a member of the Ethics Bowl team. He is an
Outing Club Freshman Orientation Trip leader (kayaking). As a freshman, John was selected as
one of twenty-five emerging leaders and received a faculty nomination for the Churchill Prize
class award. John is pursuing an academic path that will enable him to contribute at the
intersections where history, science and economics meet law and public policy.
John was funded by the Rockefeller Center for a Winter 2013 internship, with generous support
from the Perkins Bass ’34 Public Affairs Internship Fund.
Executive Summary from John’s final report:
Support from the Perkins Bass ’34 Fund and the Rockefeller Center permitted me to accept an
offer of a full-time internship on Capitol Hill with the Honorable Kelly Ayotte, United States
Senator from New Hampshire. During this internship, I attended and wrote summaries on
briefings on legislative issues in both the Senate and the House. I also contributed to reports
prepared for Senator Ayotte, and conducted research related to potential legislation and to
respond to constituent inquiries. My area of concentration was the federal budget and fiscal
policy, but I was also able to work on issues related to the armed services, small businesses,
health care policy, and education. I especially enjoyed
meeting with small business owners from New Hampshire
and learning how federal legislation affects them.
Making deliveries to other Senators, obtaining their
signatures, escorting constituents on the underground
train from Senator Ayotte’s office in Russell Senate Office
Building to the Capitol; these were all part of my daily
“Having the opportunity to
apply these principles in this
working environment has
enhanced my interest in serving
the public in the future.”
[PERKINS BASS ‘34 PUBLIC AFFAIRS FUND INTERN PROFILE ]

2. responsibilities. Attending hearings, including the hearing on the confirmation of the Secretary
of Defense, were highlights of the internship that I will forever remember. The experience that
I gained providing reliable information to policymakers and in observing how Senators prepare
and interact with one another and with the public has inspired me to pursue public service.
One extraordinary feature of the internship was the opportunity that it gave me to observe
firsthand Senator Ayotte as she did deep dives into the details of fiscal policy, armed services
issues, and other legislative priorities. I accompanied Senator Ayotte as she conducted
legislative hearings, and also, at times, when she gave remarks at public events. Observing her
effectiveness in her interpersonal relationships, and especially her emphasis on always being
prepared, proved to be another valuable lesson. I found especially instructive her and the
other Senators’ roles in confirming the nomination of the new Secretary of Defense, which I
observed from start to finish. Clearly, the Senate takes very seriously the advice and consent
role that the Constitution assigns to it, and I was fortunate to see that role in action on a real-
time basis.
I also thoroughly enjoyed conducting research to assist the legislative staff in keeping the
Senator well-informed on policy issues that would come before her committees. I helped to
analyze information provided by the Congressional Budget Office and summarized a range of
economic reports. I also helped research certain defense-related issues. It was important to
provide accurate information on a confidential basis, and I obtained satisfaction from gaining
the trust of the legislative assistants as the internship progressed.
John Howard ‘15 outside the office of U.S. Senator Kelly A. Ayotte (R-NH) during Winter 2013 internship