George Will, one of the country’s highly acclaimed and well read political columnists and conservative voices, is coming to Bucknell to start off the Bucknell Forum 2023-24 speaker series, “Freedom of Expression,” on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts.
After a series of moderated questions, he will then partake in a selective Q&A session, where he will answer questions from Bucknell students for about 15 minutes.
According to Bucknell University President John Bravman, “George Will is a Pulitzer Prize-winning, syndicated columnist and one of the most respected political commentators on the national scene. He will undoubtedly share his informed perspectives and understanding of these most historic political times.”
Since 2007, Bucknell’s speaker series has featured national leaders, scholars and commentators who have examined various issues from multidisciplinary and diverse viewpoints. Will is the first of five nationally renowned speakers participating in this year’s Bucknell Forum. Other speakers coming this year include: Claremont McKenna College Professor of American Politics Jon A. Shields; New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult; New York Times bestselling author, journalist and activist George M. Johnson; and Academy Award-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda.
About George Will
Will is an American journalist and pundit known for focusing on political conservatism, particularly in his newspaper column, published by The Washington Post since 1974, which appears twice weekly in more than 440 newspapers. He has been a contributor to MSNBC and NBC News, has previously appeared on Fox News’ Special Report and Fox News Sunday and provided commentary for three decades on ABC’s This Week. Will also was a contributing editor for Newsweek, where he wrote a bimonthly essay. He won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1977.
He graduated from Trinity College with a Bachelor’s degree in Religion and also earned a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Magdalen College, Oxford. He then went to Princeton University and graduated with a Master’s and Ph.D. in Politics. He later became a professor of Political Science at Michigan State University and the University of Toronto.
In 1970, Will became a writer on the staff of Republican U.S. Sen. Gordon Allott, having moved from the liberal politics of his upbringing to a more conservative perspective during his Oxford years. In early 1973, he became the Washington editor for the conservative biweekly National Review and later that year began writing for The Washington Post as well.
He then joined the incipient conservative writers’ group formed by the Post, which in 1974 began syndicating his columns nationwide. That year, he also began making appearances on the political talk show “Agronsky & Co.” In 1975, he left the “National Review” to become a contributing editor for “Newsweek,” and the next year he began publishing a biweekly column in the magazine, which he left in 2011. He began appearing regularly as a panelist on ABC’s “This Week” program in 1981.
Will is a credible and extremely active author and has written extensively about political culture. Some include “Statecraft as Soulcraft: What Government Does,” “One Man’s America: The Pleasures and Provocations of Our Singular Nation” and “The Conservative Sensibility.” He also has written about America’s pastime, including works such as “A Nice Little Place on the North Side: Wrigley Field at One Hundred” and “Men At Work: The Craft of Baseball,” which topped the “New York Times” bestseller list for two months. His 16th book, “American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent, 2008-2020,” was his ninth collection of reflections on the nation’s culture.
Event Information
The Bucknell Forum event, along with future events, will be free and open to the public, although tickets are required.
Current Bucknell students and employees may receive up to two free tickets at any Campus Box Office location or online between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18, a day prior to the event. A valid Bucknell University ID is required to receive advance tickets. Use of multiple Bucknell IDs to pick up additional sets of tickets is prohibited.
The remaining tickets will be available for the general public at the Weis Center box office beginning at 6 p.m. on the day of the event. Two tickets are free to all individuals, depending on availability.
There will be an ASL interpreter at the event for the hearing-impaired community. Attendees who need this service should contact [email protected] for seating arrangements.
