campus news and events

Colby-Sawyer College President Testifies Before U.S. Congress on Legal Issues of Gulf Disaster for Third Time

NEW LONDON, N.H., June 29, 2010 - Colby-Sawyer College President Tom Galligan will testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation regarding maritime liability under the Death Under the High Sea Act (DOHSA) and the Limitation of Liability Act (LOLA) on Wednesday, June 30. “The Deepwater Horizon Tragedy: Holding Industry Accountable” hearing, held at 10 a.m. at the Russell Senate Office Building, will be led by committee chair Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, with Kay Bailey Hutchison as the ranking member.

The Senate hearing marks the third time President Galligan has been invited to speak as an expert witness in maritime law before U.S. Congressional committees in Washington, D.C., on the legal issues related to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He testified on May 27 before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and on June 8 before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

In addition to President Galligan, the other witnesses include Mrs. Shelley Anderson of Midfield, Texas; Mrs. Natalie Roshto of Liberty, Miss.; and Mr. Fred McCallister, vice president of the Allegiance Capitol Corporation.

Thomas C. “Tom” Galligan Jr. joined Colby-Sawyer College as its eighth president in August 2006. He previously served as dean and professor of law at the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville, Tenn., where he also taught torts and admiralty.

From 1986 until May 1998, he taught at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University (LSU). At LSU, Galligan was named the Dr. Dale E. Bennett Professor of Law and was honored by the students as the Outstanding LSU Professor six times.

President Galligan has published numerous books and articles on torts and admiralty. His scholarship has been cited in the proposed Restatement (Third) of Torts and by numerous legal scholars. It also has been cited by the United States Supreme Court and other federal and state appellate and trial courts.

His co-authored scholarship with Professor Frank L. Maraist has been honored by the Louisiana Bar Journal and the Tulane Law Review. He was recently honored with the University of Tennessee National Alumni Association Public Service Award and the Knoxville Bar Association's Law and Liberty Award.

President Galligan currently serves as co-chair of the New Hampshire Supreme Court Society Civics Education Task Force and is a commissioner for the New Hampshire Post-Secondary Education Commission. He holds an A.B. from Stanford University, a J.D. from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law and a L.L. M. from the Columbia University Law School.


Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Learn more about the college's vibrant teaching and learning community at www.colby-sawyer.edu.

Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257 (603) 526-3000