Gov. Ron DeSantis to deliver Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government lecture
Gov. Ronald D. DeSantis, the 46th governor of Florida, will speak at the University of Notre Dame at 4 p.m. Nov. 8 in Room 101 of DeBartolo Hall.
Sponsored by Notre Dame’s Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government, the talk will serve as the center’s 2024 Jeanie Poole O’Shaughnessy Memorial Lecture and is titled “Conservative Leadership on the Eve of America’s Semiquincentennial.”
Vincent Phillip Muñoz, director of the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government, said, “One of our aims at the center is to inspire Notre Dame students to become leading citizens who serve the public good. We do that, in part, by introducing them to our nation’s current leaders, especially leading Catholic politicians. We are privileged to host Gov. DeSantis and look forward to learning about his experiences governing one of the largest states of the Union.”
In addition to his public lecture, DeSantis will participate in a seminar with the center’s undergraduate Tocqueville Fellows. The seminar will allow students to ask the governor questions and engage with him one-on-one.
Alejandra Ricardo, a junior student in the Tocqueville Fellowship Program, said, “As Tocqueville Fellows, we are uniquely privileged to directly engage the leading speakers and officials the center brings to campus. These exchanges enrich our student colloquia and seminars at the center on what constitutes a decent and just political regime. It is incredibly valuable to discuss political virtues within the American system with someone with such extensive and valuable experience.
“I’m looking forward to Gov. DeSantis’ lecture as well as the opportunity to discuss with him what he recognizes as the virtues of American political life, especially from the perspective of his gubernatorial responsibilities and as the chief executive officer of the state of Florida,” Ricardo said. “I’m deeply grateful to the center for this opportunity, which will be memorable and one of many blessings I’ve enjoyed during my time here.”
All tickets have been allocated, but the talk will be livestreamed on the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government’s YouTube channel.
DeSantis was sworn in as governor of Florida on Jan. 8, 2019. He was first elected to Congress in 2012 as the U.S. representative for Florida’s 6th District. Prior to his Congressional service, DeSantis served as a federal prosecutor.
DeSantis attended Yale University followed by Harvard Law School and earned his baccalaureate and law degrees with honors. While at Harvard, he earned a commission in the U.S. Navy as an officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. During his active-duty service, DeSantis supported operations at the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. DeSantis also deployed to Iraq as an adviser to a U.S. Navy SEAL commander in support of the SEAL mission in Fallujah, Ramadi and the rest of Al Anbar province. His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service and the Iraq Campaign Medal. He still serves in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
Launched in 2021, the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government seeks to cultivate thoughtful and educated citizens by supporting scholarship and education concerning the ideas and institutions of constitutional government.
Originally published by at constudies.nd.edu on Nov. 4.
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu
Latest Colleges & Schools
- Allison and Thomas Franco make transformative gift for Notre Dame institute advancing research excellence and public engagement in the liberal artsAllison and Thomas Franco of New York City have made a transformative gift to the University of Notre Dame to endow an institute in the College of Arts & Letters that provides unparalleled support for faculty and student research and will significantly expand its commitment to catalyzing work that connects broadly and deeply with the public.
- Diverging views of democracy fuel support for authoritarian politicians, Notre Dame study showsA new study from Marc Jacob, assistant professor of democracy and global affairs at Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, found that diverse understandings of democracy among voters shape their ability to recognize democratic violations and, in turn, affect their voting choices.
- Asian American journalist and activist Helen Zia to speak at Notre DameHelen Zia, a pioneering journalist, author and activist, will present the Asian American Distinguished Speaker Series lecture at the University of Notre Dame at 5 p.m. on March 19 (Wednesday) in the Smith Ballroom at the Morris Inn.
- Notre Dame and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. announce new partnershipThe agreement provides for the admission of 10 or more qualified Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. members into the Notre Dame MBA and other Mendoza graduate business programs starting in the 2025-26 academic year.
- Archbishop Borys Gudziak returns to Notre Dame to discuss cultivating hope in UkraineThe Nanovic Institute for European Studies will host a Ukrainian Studies Conference March 6 (Thursday) through March 8 (Saturday). This international and interdisciplinary conference, titled “Revolutions of Hope: Resilience and Recovery in Ukraine,” is presented in collaboration with the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) and is dedicated to the ethics and politics of hope in contemporary Ukraine. The keynote event will welcome Archbishop Borys Gudziak, president of UCU and Metropolitan-Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, who spoke at Notre Dame’s 2022 Commencement.
- The New Yorker’s Jonathan Blitzer to speak at Notre Dame on how immigration became a political crisisThe Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights is bringing The New Yorker’s Jonathan Blitzer to campus for an in-depth discussion about immigration. His talk will take place at 4 p.m. on Feb. 26 (Wednesday) in the auditorium of the Hesburgh Center for International Studies. The event is free and open to the general public; no tickets are required.
