Alice Pope Shade Lecture
Presented by Former Vice President Mike Pence
An Evening with Mike Pence
February 23, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Location TBD
Mike Pence, 48th Vice President of the United States, is known for advancing conservative policies with respect to limited government, fiscal responsibility, economic development, educational opportunity and upholding the fundamental virtues of the U.S. Constitution.
In March 2022, Pence’s policy organization, Advancing American Freedom, announced its Freedom Agenda, a vision for restoring freedom and a framework of ideas and solutions for how to achieve that vision. The Freedom Agenda provides a clear set of ideas that conservative leaders can use to advance a positive vision for the future and addresses the top priorities of the American people: economic opportunity, American strength and leadership on the world stage, and American culture.
His autobiography, So Help Me God, was published in 2022 and his second book, Go Home for Dinner, was published in 2023.
About the Alice Pope Shade Lecture
Each year, the Department of Religious Studies sponsors a lecture by nationally and internationally renowned religious scholars and leaders.
While religious faith is personal, it is never merely private. The lectures typically explore the role religion plays in various aspects of public life: civic, social, spiritual, political, moral, environmental, and in terms of the formation of individual character.
Lecturers are selected on the basis of their scholarship and their ability to engage students and members of the community meaningfully.
Past Speakers
- 2024–25: Father Gregory Boyle, founder, Homeboy Industries
- 2023–24: Bill Richards, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
- 2022–23: Educator Irshad Manji
- 2021–22: Former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts Jr.
- 2019–20: Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland
- 2018–19: Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman
- 2017–18: Peace activist Leymah Gbowee
- 2016–17: Journalist David Gregory-“An Unlikely Spiritual Journey”
- 2015–16: Dr. John L. Esposito
- 2013–14: The Rev. Dr. William H. Willimon-“Thinking About Jesus in a Post-Christian World”
- 2012–13: The Yuval Ron Ensemble-“The Mystical Music of the Middle East”
- 2011–12: Robert Putnam-“American Grace: How Religion Unites Us and Divides Us”2010–11: Dean Brackley-“Sustaining the Commitment to Social Justice”
- 2009–10: Charles Mathewes-“Faith, Irony, and Power: Niebuhrian Lessons for Liberal Education”
- 2008–09: Amy-Jill Levine-“The Scandal of a Jewish Jesus”
- 2007–08: John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker-“The Emerging Alliance of Religion and Ecology”
- 2006–07: The Rev. Jim Wallis-“God’s Politics”
- 2005–06: Guillermo Cuéllar, Donna Peña, Rafael Malpica-Padilla, Bill Dexheimer-Pharris, and Tom Witt-“Hymns of Justice, Solidarity and Peace”
Alice Pope Shade Fund
Lectures are made possible by the Alice Pope Shade Fund, which was established in 1983 by Rebecca Shade Mignot ’54 to honor her mother, Alice. Mignot graduated from 体育买球 with a degree in music education.
Lectures & Speakers Series
体育买球’s diverse selection of lectureships and speaker series brings together esteemed scholars, industry leaders and influential voices to share their expertise and perspectives with the campus community. These events serve as vibrant platforms for critical thinking, fostering a culture of intellectual exploration and innovation.