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Eugene J. McCarthy Lectureship Established for Public Policy Center
"I am hopeful that this challenge may alleviate this sense of political helplessness and restore to many people a belief in the processes of American politics and of American government."
The annual public lectureship carries McCarthy’s deep commitment to the ideals and principles of democratic self-government. It seeks to inspire a new generation of young people to pursue fresh ideas, to challenge the status quo, to effect positive change in their communities and, like McCarthy himself, to lead with honesty, integrity, and courage.
The 2009 speaker was former U.S. Senator
Hagel's speech was featured on MPR's Midday with Gary Eichten. Listen here.
2009 McCarthy Lecture Speaker Appointed by Obama as Co-Chair the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
Chuck Hagel has served two terms in the U.S. Senate. His duties include membership on four senate committees: Foreign Relations; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Intelligence; and Rules. Hagel and his brother Tom served side by side in Vietnam in 1968 as infantry squad leaders with the U.S. Army's 9th Infantry Division. He earned many military decorations and honors, including two Purple Hearts. A fourth-generation Nebraskan, Senator Hagel is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Hagel and his wife, Lilibet, have two children.