Lafayette College to host vice presidential debate
Event is scheduled for Sept. 25 in the Kirby Sports Center
Lafayette College has been chosen to host the 2024 vice presidential debate on Sept. 25, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday.
“It is a tremendous honor to host a vice presidential debate. We are delighted to open our campus for this important part of our nation’s democratic process and help bring this debate to the American electorate,” Lafayette College President Nicole Hurd said in a press release.
The Lafayette debate is the only one that will feature vice presidential candidates.
It will be held in the Kirby Sports Center. Additional details, including the format and moderators, will be announced next year by the commission, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has sponsored all general election presidential and vice presidential debates since 1988.
Presidential debates are scheduled for Sept. 16 at Texas State University, Oct. 1 at Virginia State University and Oct. 9 at the University of Utah.
This is the first time Lafayette has been chosen as the site for the debate, but the Easton school has welcomed visits by eight sitting, former future presidents and vice presidents.
“Our namesake, the Marquis de Lafayette, is renowned for his historic leadership of democratic values. With our civic-minded campus and traditions, Lafayette will proudly represent Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley, which always play a pivotal role in national politics,” Hurd said.
Before becoming president, Benjamin Harrison visited in 1877 to see his son Russell graduate from the college.
President Rutherford B. Hayes attended the rededication of Pardee Hall in 1880.
Dwight D. Eisenhower received an honorary doctorate of laws degree on Founders’ Day in 1946 after serving as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe in World War II.
Richard Nixon delivered the 1956 commencement address as vice president.
Gerald Ford gave a talk in Colton Chapel in 1968 as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Former President George H.W. Bush gave the commencement address in 1998.
Joe Biden delivered the Lives of Liberty lecture while vice president in 2012.
Former President Jimmy Carter delivered the inaugural Pastor Lecture in International Affairs in 2013.