George Washington Presidential Library Announces Speaker Line-Up for Democracy Symposium

Three-Day Event to Explore American Democracy and the Lasting Legacy of George Washington

MOUNT VERNON, Va., Oct. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 2-4, many of the nation's most respected historians, authors, journalists, former military leaders, judges, business leaders, and philanthropists will assemble for an important examination of American democracy. The Great Experiment: Democracy from the Founding to the Future marks the tenth anniversary of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon and will feature important discussions of America's new challenges in protecting its democratic government. The event will also feature a new national poll sponsored by The George Washington Presidential Library in publicity partnership with the University of Virginia Center for Politics on Americans' views on the future of democracy.

The symposium will kick off with a discussion and dinner at the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Reception Rooms, followed by two days of programming and a Library open house reception with special viewings of original historic maps, manuscripts, and books.

Note to Editors: Media interested in covering the Democracy Symposium should contact Julie Almacy, Director of Public Affairs at George Washington's Mount Vernon.

Speakers include:

• Jacqueline Alemany, The Washington Post Congressional Investigations Reporter
• Rick Atkinson, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author
• John Avlon, CNN Anchor and Senior Political Analyst
• Natasha Bertrand, CNN National Security Reporter
• Douglas Brinkley, Rice University Professor of History at Rice University and CNN Presidential Historian
• Robert Costa, CBS News Chief Election & Campaign Correspondent
• General Joseph Dunford, Jr., 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Joanne Freeman, Yale University Professor of American History and of American Studies
• Annette Gordon-Reed, Harvard University Professor and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author
• Kenneth Griffin, Citadel Founder and CEO
• Richard Haass, Council on Foreign Relations President Emeritus
• John Harwood, Veteran White House, Congressional, and National Politics Journalist
• Margaret Hoover, PBS Firing Line Host
• Neal Katyal, Former Acting Solicitor General of the United States and Hogan Lovells Partner
• General John Kelly, Fifth Secretary of Homeland Security and Former White House Chief of Staff
• Brian Lamb, C-SPAN Founder
• General Jim Mattis, 26^th Secretary of Defense
• Trevor Potter, Campaign Legal Center President and Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission
• Heidi Przybyla, Politico National Investigative Correspondent
• David Rubenstein, The Carlyle Group Co-Founder and Co-Chairman
• Larry Sabato, University of Virginia Center for Politics Founder and Director
• Valerie Strauss, Washington Post Education Reporter

The full roster of speakers is available here.

Tickets for the Democracy Symposium are available in limited quantities, with discounted pricing for members and donors. In-person tickets include all lectures, meals, and tours. A virtual option is also available.

Housed in the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, the George Washington Presidential Library hosts forums on early American history and civic engagement, manages a prominent research fellowship program, houses an extensive collection of manuscripts, maps, and books, organizes expansive digital offerings, and annually hosts thousands of people at public events and leadership programs. 

Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, a private, nonprofit organization. The estate is open to visitors and includes the Mansion, a museum and education center, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a distillery, and a gristmill. It also includes the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.

SOURCE George Washington's Mount Vernon