RICHMOND, Ind. – Earlham College continues its tradition in hosting notable speakers through the Presidential Lecture Series, bringing national voices to campus and offering opportunities for community engagement.
Most recently, former South Bend Mayor and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited in February 2026, drawing around 1,600 attendees. The Presidential Lecture Series is an annual event, and past speakers have included Van Jones and Nikole Hannah-Jones. David Brooks, who also spoke on campus this academic year, was hosted as part of the Artist and Lecture Series.
“It’s important both for our students and our faculty to engage with these people, but we think of it as a service to the community as well,” said Earlham President Paul Sniegowski.
Images provided by Earlham College.
The lecture series, funded by endowed funds and alumni support, typically brings in two speakers each year, with one in the fall and one in the spring. Speaker selection is guided by the College Council, which includes the vice president, clerk of faculty, dean of the School of Religion, and the president himself.
Sniegowski said the college takes a careful approach to ensuring diverse perspectives.
“We, and I, are very mindful of the various kinds of diversity in bringing in speakers…a function of an institution of higher education is to bring ideas that are a disagreement and have them engage in dialogue about those ideas.”
For Sniegowski, a South Bend native, the visit with Buttigieg held special significance. He described the privilege of sitting on stage with him and participating in discussion. “It felt a bit like playing tennis with somebody who’s way better than you. It just elevates your game,” he said.
Images provided by Earlham College.
The lecture series is part of Earlham’s broader mission to foster dialogue and critical thinking, a responsibility Sniegowski believes the college holds for the community.
“Higher education is about legitimate dialogue about ideas which there is legitimate disagreement…and so that means not having everyone here agree about everything and just be an echo chamber,” he said. “It means surfacing areas of contention and talking about them.”
Beyond the lecture series, Sniegowski highlighted connections between campus initiatives and community revitalization efforts. Reflecting on Buttigieg’s time as mayor, he explained how South Bend partnered with local institutions to transform underutilized riverfront spaces into vibrant recreational and residential areas, creating pathways, parks, and community hubs.
“A kind of model of what might happen and should happen here in Richmond…is actually what happened in South Bend when Pete was mayor,” he said.
While not identical, the Revitalize Richmond project mirrors that approach, with partnerships including city officials and Earlham. Efforts aim to renovate downtown buildings for apartments, create pedestrian and bike-friendly pathways between campus and town, and enhance recreational areas such as the Whitewater River Gorge for hiking, ziplining, and canoeing. Sniegowski emphasized these efforts are designed to benefit students and residents.
Looking ahead, Sniegowski said the series will continue to balance speakers across political, cultural, and gender perspectives. Although no names have been announced, Earlham hopes to host a prominent woman speaker during the fall semester.
Going forward beyond the lecture series, he’s encouraging local residents to see Earlham's historic significance as a resource to the community.
“I hope that people in Richmond will think of Earlham as…one of those places where you can go to see a performance or see a talk or just see a ball game, walk the campus, it’s part of your town.”
