Lee Hamilton '52 and Sandra Day O'Connor Push for Civic Education

December 11, 2010

December 11, 2010, Greencastle, Ind. — "Former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, an Evansville native, has joined with former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to promote the importance of teaching students about civics," notes an item in the Evansville Courier & Press. "Hamilton and O'Connor are featured in two public service announcements as part of the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools. Hamilton and O'Connor co-chair the campaign."

"Young people are the future of our democracy," O'Connor says in the spot.  Hamilton, who served 34 years in Congress and is a 1952 graduate of DePauw University, adds, "But they won't just wake up one day and know how to run this country."

Hamilton and O'Connor are co-chairs of the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, a coalition of organizations working to increase and improve civic education in America's K-12 schools. Hamilton has been active in this arena since he retired from Congress in 1999 and established the Center on Congress, a non-partisan educational institution working to improve the public's understanding of Congress and to encourage civic engagement.

The spots are being distributed to television stations across the country. View them here and here.

Lee H. Hamilton was recently called "one of the wisest and most experienced people in Washington" by David Ignatius of the Washington Post, while USA Today's Susan Page wrote, "He is one of the last of the Washington 'wise men,' figures who ruled Congress, led Cabinet agencies and shaped foreign policy during a less partisan era." In a column this month, Hamilton offered his thoughts on ending political polarization.  Learn more in this story.

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