President Barack Obama is Hamilton College’s Next Big Speaker

The 44th President of the United States will be Hamilton College's Great Names Guest at the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House in Clinton. Barack Obama will appear at Hamilton on Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m., according to a release on Tuesday from the college.

This free event, “A Conversation with President Barack Obama,” will require tickets, which will be made available first to members of the Hamilton campus community starting on Monday, Feb. 24 at 9 a.m., with public access opening in March, should tickets still be available.

The Sacerdote Great Names Speaker Series

The Sacerdote Series is named in recognition of a significant gift from the family of Alex Sacerdote, a 1994 Hamilton graduate. Other speakers have included Venus Williams, Tina Fey, Aretha Franklin, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Derek Jeter, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Jon Stewart, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States On Nov. 4, 2008, winning more votes than any candidate in history. He was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009, reelected in 2012, and served until Jan. 20, 2017. He was the first African American to hold the office, bringing a message of hope and change to his campaigns.

 Obama’s tenure began amidst the Great Recession, and his administration prioritized economic recovery efforts, including the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the rescue of the auto industry. He also oversaw the longest stretch of job creation in U.S. history.

A key legislative achievement was the Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law in 2010, which expanded healthcare coverage to 20 million Americans. President Obama also emphasized renewable energy, financial regulatory reform through the Dodd-Frank Act, and combating climate change, culminating in the United States signing the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015.

In foreign policy, President Obama’s administration ended the combat mission in Iraq, ordered the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program, and opened a new chapter with the people of Cuba.

Despite facing increased political polarization with frequent legislative gridlock, President Obama’s tenure was marked by major social milestones, including the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

President Obama has dedicated his post-presidency to lifting up the next generation of leaders, including supporting civic leaders in the United States and abroad through the Obama Foundation.

For more details on this event, visit the Great Names website www.hamilton.edu/greatnames