The program, facilitated by the Stennis Center for Public Leadership and the nonprofit Former Members of Congress, brings former federal legislators to college campuses to discuss public service.
Elon University will host two former members of Congress on Feb. 18 through the Congress to Campus program, with the visit designed to help educate young leaders about Congress and American government while encouraging them to consider careers in public service.
The Elon community is invited to join in a discussion with former U.S. Rep. Glenn English, a Democrat from Oklahoma, and former U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, an Illinois Republican. The visit is facilitated by the Stennis Center for Public Leadership, which was established by Congress in 1988 to develop and deliver programs about leadership and public service, and the nonprofit Former Members of Congress, a bipartisan alliance of former federal lawmakers dedicated to a better understanding of the democratic system and civic engagement.
During the discussion, which begins at 7 p.m. in McKinnon Hall in the Moseley Center, English and Roskam will reflect on their careers in public service, experiences working in Congress and thoughts on the current state of our political institutions.
Glenn English was elected to 10 consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives beginning in 1974. He represented Oklahoma’s Sixth Congressional District and served of the House Agriculture Committee as well as the Government Operations Committee. He was also named to serve of the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control in 1976 where he Chaired the Task Force On Drug Abuse In The Military.
Peter Roskam has held public office for 25 years, uniquely serving in both the majority and the minority in each of three storied legislative bodies — the U.S. House of Representatives, the Illinois Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives. He chaired three major subcommittees of the Ways & Means Committee during his time in the U.S. House from 2007 through 2019.
This event is sponsored by the Council on Civic Engagement and the Department of Political Science and Policy Studies.