Eric Holder, attorney general of the United States from 2009 to April 2015, will deliver a talk on Friday, Nov. 6, as part of the 2015-16 Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Lecture Series.
Holder will discuss “Principled Leadership: The Courage to Face Challenge” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Benton Chapel, located at 411 21st Ave. S. on the Vanderbilt campus. A reception will precede the talk from 5:15 to 6 p.m. in the Reading Room at Vanderbilt Divinity School.
Both events are open to the public, but tickets are required to attend the lecture. Tickets are free and limited to two per person. Tickets must be picked up in advance of the lecture at the Sarratt Student Center Box Office. A government-issued photo ID or valid Vanderbilt photo ID must be presented when picking up tickets. For box office hours of operation and additional information, call (615) 343-3361.
Holder was appointed by President Obama in 2009 to serve as the first African American attorney general of the United States. One of the most widely discussed political figures in America today, Holder has been at the intersection of law and public policy for more than 30 years.
He has spent decades at the forefront of the nation’s most critical issues, from national security, terrorism and civil rights to the economy, the environment and public safety. His leadership and willingness to take principled yet sometimes unpopular positions have made him a person of great interest. In 2014, Time magazine named Holder to its list of 100 Most Influential People, stating that he “worked tirelessly to ensure equal justice.”
Obama has praised Holder’s “toughness and independence” and said upon his departure from the Department of Justice, “With Eric Holder as its lawyer, America has become a better country.”
Following his departure from the justice department, Holder returned to the Washington, D.C., law firm of Covington & Burling, where he currently focuses on complex litigation and investigatory matters that are international in scope.
Parking for the Nov. 6 event will be available in the Wesley Place Garage, located near the intersection of 21st Avenue South and Scarritt Place. Hand-held metal detector wanding will be in use for the Nov. 6 event; entry to Benton Chapel is conditional on this security screening procedure. Bags larger than 8”x12”, including purses, backpacks, briefcases, large umbrellas and other oversized items, are prohibited and will not be permitted inside Benton Chapel.
The Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Lecture Series strives to connect the university and the Nashville community with intellectuals who are shaping our world. For more information about the series, visit the Chancellor’s Lecture Series website, email cls@vanderbilt.edu, call (615) 322-0885 or follow on Twitter @VUCLS.