Speaker Series
George A. Andrews Distinguished Speaker Series
The George A. Andrews Distinguished Speaker Series was inaugurated in 1997 with the generous support of a devoted friend of Principia. The series is named in honor of the first Dean of the College, who also served with great distinction during his 30-year career at Principia (1921–1953) as a professor of history.
Primarily an educational program for Principia College students, the series features speakers of high ideals and strong character whose ideas and decisions have made a significant imprint on our times.
It is the College's hope that these examples of lives well lived will inspire Principia students to careers devoted to the largest purposes and highest ideals.
2016 Ed Visteurs
World Class Mountaineer
2016 Henry M. Paulson Jr.
Former United States Secretary of the Treasury
2014 Captain James Lovell, Fred Haise, and Gene Kranz
Apollo 13 Astronauts and Mission Flight Control Director
2014 Madeleine Albright
Former United States Secretary of State
2011 George Will
Pultzer Prize-Winning Author, Syndicated Columnist
2010 Muhammad Yunus
Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Founder of the Microenterprise Lending Movement
2009 Doris Kearns Goodwin
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian, Lincoln Scholar
2008 Vicente Fox
Former President of Mexico
2007 Robert Duvall (US'49, C'53)
Academy Award-Winning Actor, Director, and Screenwriter
2006 Barack Obama
Former President of the United States
2006 Wangari Maathai
Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Humanitarian, Environmentalist
2005 Thomas Friedman
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author, New York Times Columnist
2004 Coretta Scott King
Humanitarian, Civil Rights Champion, Wife of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King
2002 Elie Wiesel
Holocaust Survivor, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author
2000 Colin Powell
Former United States Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
1999 Jimmy Carter
Former President of the United States
1998 George H. W. Bush
Former President of the United States
1997 Margaret Thatcher
Former Prime Minister of Great Britain
Ernie and Lucha Vogel Moral Courage Speakers
The Vogel Moral Courage program was established to nurture, encourage, and promote the idea of moral courage through speakers, seminars, and special activities as well as a special collection located in the Marshall Brooks Library.
The speaker series has brought to the Principia College campus individuals from around the world who have been significant exemplars of—or writers on—moral courage. The purpose of the speaker series is to foster an appreciation of the importance of moral courage in every aspect of life.
2019 Arno Michaelis and Daryl Davis
A Former White Supremacist and a Blues Musician, Anti-Hate Activists
2017 Rukmini Callimachi
International Journalist covering Al Qaeda and ISIS
2017 Anthony Menendez
Halliburton whistleblower
2016 Dr. Yang Jianli
Pro-democracy Activist from Northern China
2015 Ziauddin Yousafzai
Educator and Human Rights Activist
2014 Michael Kim
Author and Human Rights Activist
2013 Azar Nafisi
Professor and Iranian-American Author
2011 Lara Logan
Foreign Affairs Correspondent for CBS News
2011 Kristen Monroe
Political Scientist and Professor
2010 Emmanuel Jal
Musician, Activist, and Former Ugandan Child Soldier
2010 Oleg Kozlovsky
Civil Rights Activist
2008 Betty Bigombe
Former Ugandan Government Minister and World Bank Consultant
2008 Xinran Xue
Author and Former Radio Host
2007 Melba Beals
Journalist, Author, and Member of the Little Rock Nine
2006 Diane Wilson
Fourth-Generation Shrimper and Environmental Activist
2006 Lydia Sohn
Professor and Whistleblower
2005 Paul Rusesabagina
Humanitarian and Inspiration for Hotel Rwanda
2004 Wole Soyinka
Author, Professor, and Political Prisoner
2003 Lord Weatherill
Humanitarian and Former Speaker of the British House of Commons
2003 Louis Clark
Protestant Minister, Attorney, Civil Rights Activist
2001 Morris Dees
Civil Rights Attorney
2001 Lowell Bergman
Investigative Reporter and Former 60 Minutes Producer
2001 Jeffrey Wigand
Tobacco Industry Whistleblower and Founder of SMOKE-FREE KIDS, Inc.
2000 David McCullough
Author and Historian
1999 John Lewis
American Politician and Civil Rights Leader
1998 Nien Cheng
Author and Prisoner during China's Cultural Revolution
Other Major Speakers
| Speaker | Year |
| General Peter Pace | 2013 |
| Matt Lauria and Michelle Armstrong | 2012 |
| Minoma Littlehawk | 2012 |
| Rose Mapendo | 2011 |
| Herman Boone | 2011 |
| Sandy Tolan | 2010 |
| Greg Mortenson | 2009 |
| Helen and Robert Elswit | 2009 |
| Mark Suh (C'75) | 2008 |
| Bud Krogh (US'57, C'61) | 2008 |
| David McCullough | 2007 |
| Asao Inoue | 2007 |
| Traci Fenton (C'97) | 2007 |
| Robert Cochran | 2006 |
| Elizabeth Pond | 2006 |
| Kevin Mitnick | 2006 |
| Rushworth Kidder | 2005 |
| Janessa Gans (C'98) | 2005 |
| Paul Dixon (US'83) | 2004 |
| Clifton Taulbert | 2004 |
| Gwen Ifill | 2004 |
| Assad Hayauddin | 2004 |
| George Mitchell | 2003 |
| Daniel Schorr | 2002 |
| Christopher Shays (C'68) | 2002 |
| Erin Brockovich | 2002 |
| Paul Simon | 2002 |
| Danny Glover/Felix Justice | 2002 |
| Sandra Day O'Connor | 2001 |
| Jane Goodall | 2001 |
| Maya Angelou | 2000 |
| James A. Baker III | 2000 |
| Val Kilmer | 2000 |
| Henry Kissinger | 1999 |
| Robert Craig | 1998 |