Colgate University to Welcome President Barack Obama for a Special Conversation

Colgate University will welcome President Barack Obama to campus on Friday, September 18, for a special conversation during Colgate's Family Weekend.

President Obama's conversation is sponsored by the Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders at Colgate, which supports Colgate's commitment to preparing students for lives of leadership, engaged citizenship, and thoughtful participation in a democratic society.

The conversation will give students, families, alumni, faculty, and staff the opportunity to hear directly from President Obama on leadership, public service, citizenship, and the responsibilities of the next generation.

"One of the great strengths of a liberal arts university is the opportunity to hear directly from people whose leadership has shaped the world," said Colgate President Brian W. Casey. "President Obama is one of the most consequential public leaders of our time. We are honored to welcome him to Colgate and to continue the Kerschner Family Series' tradition of bringing remarkable voices and ideas to our campus."

President Obama served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Throughout his career as a community organizer, constitutional law professor, U.S. senator, president, author, and founder of the Obama Foundation, he has emphasized leadership, civic engagement, and expanding opportunity for future generations.

Following his presidency, President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama established the Obama Foundation to inspire, empower, and connect emerging leaders around the world. Earlier this year, the Obama Presidential Center opened on Chicago's South Side as a destination for civic engagement, education, and community building.

The program begins at 6:30 p.m. Additional information on tickets will be available in the coming weeks at colgate.edu/familyweekend.

The Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders at Colgate, established in 2007 through the University's Parents' and Grandparents' Fund, brings distinguished leaders whose ideas and experiences have shaped public life, culture, science, and global affairs to campus. The series reflects Colgate's enduring commitment to exposing students to diverse perspectives and consequential conversations as an essential part of a liberal arts education. Previous guests have included Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa, poet Amanda Gorman, entrepreneur and Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph, ballerina Misty Copeland, President Joe Biden, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.