SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND FOUNDATION, INC., PRESENTS
SERIES 0 2026
President Barack Obama Tuesday, September 10, 2019
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026
THE COMMONWEALTH’S CIVIC ENGAGEMENT UNIVERSITY At Salem State University, civic engagement is central to the student experience. Recognized with the prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, Salem State collaborates with community partners to address some of today’s most pressing challenges while preparing students to become informed, active members of their communities. The Center for Civic Engagement at Salem State connects students with hands-on, community-based experiences that is help them leadership At Salem State University, civic engagement central to develop the student experiskills, advocate for meaningful change and build Community connections across ence. Recognized with the prestigious Carnegie Engagement the region. Through these opportunities, gain the knowledge, Classification, Salem State collaborates students with community partners to address some ofand today’s most pressing challenges whileimpact. preparing students to become confidence skills needed to create a lasting informed, active members of their communities.
The Center for Civic Engagement at Salem State connects students with hands-on, community-based experiences that help them develop leadership skills, advocate for meaningful change and build connections across the region. Through these opportunities, students gain the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to create a lasting impact.
Learn more about the Center for Civic Engagement. Include QR code: https://www.salemstate.edu/civicengagement
Learn more about the Center for Civic Engagement.
A CONVERSATION WITH BARACK OBAMA
8 pm
WELCOME
John D. Keenan President, Salem State University
DISCUSSION
President Barack Obama Doris Kearns Goodwin, moderator
SUPPORT THE SALEM STATE
SERIES
A Legacy of Inspiration The Salem State Series was founded in 1982 under the auspices of the Salem State University Alumni Association and Foundation, Inc. (AAF) as one of the first high-profile speaker series in the country. For more than 40 years, the event has welcomed world leaders, renowned artists, celebrated athletes, and influential thinkers to campus, creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue and connection with students, alumni and the greater community. As the AAF celebrates its 50th anniversary, we honor the generations of supporters whose dedication has helped make these extraordinary experiences possible. The Salem State Series remains a powerful expression of Salem State’s commitment to lifelong learning and bringing inspiring voices to our community. A self-supporting community enrichment program, the Salem State Series can continue because of the generous support of corporate and individual sponsors. Join us in celebrating 50 years of Salem State pride and help ensure the next generation of conversations continues to inspire.
Where Civic Leadership Begins The Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics (Berry IOP) at Salem State University inspires and prepares the next generation of civic leaders. Through meaningful dialogue, experiential learning and civic engagement, the nonpartisan Berry IOP provides students and the broader community with opportunities to explore important issues, participate actively in our democracy and pursue pathways to careers in politics and public service. As the only institute of politics at a Massachusetts public institution, the Berry IOP offers students unique opportunities to connect with civic leaders, engage in thoughtful discussions and gain hands-on experience through voter engagement initiatives, candidate forums, leadership development programs, and networking events. The Berry IOP also supports students pursuing careers in public service through internship scholarships that help make civic engagement more accessible. Invest in tomorrow’s leaders and learn more about the impact of the Berry IOP and their programs.
Berry IOP students at the Massachusetts State House, participating in the Alternative Spring Break Trip. Students are pictured with Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll ’89.
ABOUT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States, elected in November 2008 and holding office for two terms. He was born in Hawai‘i on August 4, 1961, to a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya, and raised with the help of his grandparents. Soon after graduating from Columbia University in New York City, President Obama moved to the South Side of Chicago, where he became a community organizer, coordinating with churches to improve housing conditions and set up job-training programs in a community hit hard by steel mill closures. After nearly three years, he attended Harvard Law School, where he attracted national attention as the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. Returning to Chicago, he became a civil rights attorney and married Michelle Robinson in 1992. President Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, and then to the United States Senate in 2004. When he was elected president in 2008, he became the first African American to hold the office, and was inaugurated during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. In office, he oversaw eight years of progress, taking action to rescue the American economy, grow the middle class, pass the Affordable Care Act, wind down two wars, and refocus American diplomatic leadership around the world. He left office having overseen the longest job stretch of American job creation ever and led the creation of the Paris Agreement, the most ambitious global climate agreement in history. In 2009, President Obama became the fourth president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. In his post-presidency, President Obama has dedicated his efforts to supporting the next generation of leaders. The Obama Foundation is bringing that vision to life through programs for emerging leaders across continents, and the Foundation’s mission to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. That legacy will carry on through the Obama Presidential Center, which opened this summer on Chicago’s South Side.
ABOUT DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, author and presidential scholar. Her work has shaped public understanding of American leadership, democracy and political history for more than five decades. She is the author of nine critically acclaimed books and has received numerous honors, including the Pulitzer Prize in History, the Lincoln Prize and the Carnegie Medal. Goodwin began her career as a White House Fellow working directly for President Lyndon B. Johnson and later assisted him with his memoirs. She went on to teach government and the American presidency at Harvard University. Her latest book, published in 2024, became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Today, she brings a historian’s perspective to the challenges facing American democracy and the enduring qualities of effective political leadership.
See yourselƒ at Salem State University
OPEN HOUSES THIS FALL ARE AN OPEN INVITATION—EXPLORE CAMPUS, MEET FACULTY AND FIND WHERE YOU BELONG. UNDERGRADUATE OPEN HOUSE
Explore academic programs, meet faculty and current students and tour campus.
Saturday, October 17 Sunday, November 15
VIRTUAL SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES OPEN HOUSE Sessions by program and topic, offered virtually so you can join from anywhere.
November 16-19
SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPEAKER SERIES The Salem State Series is a self-sustaining, nonprofit, community enrichment program. 1982-83 Gerald Ford Douglas Kiker Henry Kissinger 1983-84 Alexander Haig Howard K. Smith Art Buchwald 1984-85 Jimmy Carter Doris Kearns Goodwin Kevin McCarthy 1985-86 Jeane Kirkpatrick Sam Donaldson Jesse Jackson 1986-87 Geraldine Ferraro Ed Bradley Helmut Schmidt 1987-88 Thomas “Tip” O’Neill Lesley Stahl Abba Eban 1988-89 Mario Cuomo Helen Thomas Elie Wiesel 1989-90 C. Everett Koop Pat Schroeder Mark Russell 1990-91 William Bennett Alex Haley Ed Koch 1991-92 Marvin Kalb Judy Woodruff Robert Fulghum 1992-93 Mario Cuomo Gloria Steinem Mary Fisher 1993-94 Capitol Steps Mary Higgins Clark George H. W. Bush
1994-95 Mary Matalin and James Carville and Colin L. Powell Desmond M. Tutu 1995-96 Brian Mulroney Ken Burns Ann Richards 1996-97 Mike Wallace Joan Rivers Shimon Peres 1997-98 Benazir Bhutto Dave Barry Barbara Bush 1998-99 Beverly Sills George Stephanopoulos Doug Flutie 1999-2000 Sebastian Junger and Linda Greenlaw George Mitchell Walter Cronkite 2000-01 Mark Russell Molly Ivins Bill Russell William Jefferson Clinton 2001-02 David McCullough Jane Goodall Mia Hamm The Motley Fool 2002-03 Christiane Northrup Jamling Norgay and Peter Hillary Rudy Giuliani 2003-04 Goldie Hawn Jesse Ventura Christopher Reeve and Robin Cook 2004-05 Thomas Friedman David Halberstam Jack and Suzy Welch
2005-06 Robert Redford Patrick Buchanan Bianca Jagger 2007 Cal Ripken Jr. George H. W. Bush Tom Wolfe Maya Angelou 2008 Bill Belichick George F. Will 2009 Jay Leno Bob and Lee Woodruff 2010 Ted Kennedy Jr. Deepak Chopra 2011 Newt Gingrich John Irving 2012 Bobby Valentine and Peter Gammons 2013 Cory Booker Tony Kushner 2015 Tom Brady 2016 Ed Davis and Richard DesLauriers 2017 John Legend 2018 Paul Farmer 2019 Sam Kennedy Rebecca Eaton 2020 Paul Farmer 2022 David Ortiz Amal Clooney 2026 Barack Obama
SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND FOUNDATION, INC. The Salem State Series is presented under the auspices of the Salem State University Alumni Association and Foundation, Inc. Corporate sponsors, philanthropists and individual ticket holders are the program’s sole support. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Salem State University Alumni Association and Foundation, Inc. (AAF) is a 501(c)(3) private, not-for-profit organization. In partnership with Salem State University, the AAF promotes pride in the university and inspires philanthropy to invest in student success. In so doing, the AAF provides the opportunity to meet the funding priorities of the Salem State community not met through public funding. To learn more, please visit salemstate.edu/foundation.
SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND FOUNDATION, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers Annalisa C. Di Palma, chair Louis J. George ’89, vice chair Adam M. Lord ’08, treasurer Virginia C. Lyons ’16, secretary
Ex Officio John D. Keenan, president, Salem State University Mandy Ray, vice president, advancement and executive director, Salem State University Alumni Association and Foundation, Inc. Directors Alexander F. Booker ’14 Erik J. Champy ’89, ’94G, legacy member Jeffrey V. Cicolini ’94, board member emeritus Christopher M. Corrente ’10, ’12G Alicia Y. Depeña ’00 Nancy A. Dias ’09, ’13G Anthony DiVirgilio ’19 Julianna W. Donovan ’20G Kim D. Gassett-Schiller ’83, ’18H, at-large Richard J. Gilmartin ’76 Craig E. Goryl Judith Josephs ’63, ’65G, legacy member Josephine E. Kennedy ’72, ’76G, legacy member James J. Lampassi, Jr. ’81, alumni trustee Patricia M. Libby ’71 Andrea C. Liftman ’75G Joanne Mendes ’79 Robert H. Millwee ’09 Katherine E. Reid Stephen A. Rollins, Jr. Judith L. Thomas ’08, ’13G Daniel J. Vassallo Joseph M. Wamness ’00G, board member emeritus Hope M. Watt-Bucci ’96G Justin A. Young Elaine A. Zetes ’88G Yaqin Zhu ’12, ’13