AMHERST — On the evening of Nov. 1, almost exactly 60 years after President John F. Kennedy mentioned the responsibility to serve the public interest during the groundbreaking of the college’s Frost Library, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey will be on campus to discuss the need for and benefits of public service.
“Democracy and the Greater Good: A Conversation with Governor Maura Healey” is taking place at Johnson Chapel, starting at 6 p.m. A limited number of seats will be made available to the public.
Amherst College President Michael A. Elliott said in a statement that he looks forward to hearing Healey’s thoughts on civic involvement and the current political landscape.
Healey’s visit comes as the college is rededicating a mission to educate students for democracy, building and promoting a culture in which their experiences at Amherst will prepare them for a lifetime of contributing to the greater good.
On Oct. 26, 1963, Kennedy addressed power, politics and public service in a visit to the college.
“What good is a private college or university unless it’s serving a great national purpose? … The library being constructed today, this college itself, all of this, of course, was not done merely to give this school’s graduates an advantage, an economic advantage, in the life struggle,” Kennedy said.
“It does do that. But … in return for the great opportunity which society gives the graduates of this and related schools, it seems to me incumbent upon this and other schools’ graduates to recognize their responsibility to the public interest. Privilege is here, and with privilege goes responsibility.”
