Programs Established in Michael's Memory
Georgetown University
Michael Jurist Annual Memorial Lecture Fund Event

2008 Lecture Fund
featured George Stephanopoulos, ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent and news anchor.

• Stephanopoulos Calls Democratic Victory, by Natalie Lescroart

2010 Lecture Fund
featured Karl Rove, Conservative political strategist and former deputy White House Chief of Staff.

• Karl Rove Promotes New Book, Shares Political Experiences by Dawn Hu
• The Hoya, Rove: Tough Elections Ahead for Democrats

2011 Lecture Fund
featured Bob Woodward, considered the 20th century’s most prominent American journalist made famous for uncovering the Watergate scandal

• Woodward Talks Truth by Danny Funt, The Hoya

2012 Lecture Fund
featured Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley
Dr.West, a prominent philosopher, writer and intellectual, is a renowned commentator on poverty and race theory. Tavis Smiley, a celebrated television personality, currently hosts “The Tavis Smiley Show” on PBS. Their new book “The Rich & the Rest of Us” challenges all Americans to re- examine their assumptions about poverty in America - what it really is and how to eradicate it.

• Cornel West and Tavis Smiley offer their Poverty Manifesto by Tori Jovanovski, Vox Populi
• The Michael Jurist Memorial Lecture: Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley, Georgetown University Live Webcasts

• Carville Gives Life Advice by Madison Ashley, The Hoya
• Lecture Fund Promo Video
• Lecture Fund Website Events
• Tonight Newspaper.com coverage

• Smith Sells Self-Branding by Chris Balthazard, The Hoya

Photo credit: Michelle Yaw, Chief of Staff, Lecture Fund

An entrepreneur and investor, Thiel was the first outside investor in Facebook, has funded companies like SpaceX and LinkedIn, as well as establishing the Thiel Fellowship, which ignited a national debate by encouraging young people to put learning before college. He leads the Thiel Foundation which works to advance technological progress and long-term thinking about the future.

A very thought-provoking and inspiring speaker, he participated in a lengthy post- Lecture Q&A period. Each person attending the Lecture was provided a copy of Thiel’s book (complements of the Lecture Fund) which Thiel personally autographed after the event.

• Peter Thiel's Trip to Georgetown Will Be All About Startups by Molly Greenberg, DCInno
• Thiel Discusses Success in Business by Tom Garzillo, The Hoya
• Zero to One: A conversation with Peter Thiel by Esther Lee, Venture Capitol

Klein, who is also a policy analyst for MSNBC, was originally going to discuss policymaking in Washington but decided, at the last minute, to focus on the pressing issue of the current state of US politics during this election cycle.

Saying it was a “pretty dark time” in American politics requiring people to think differently, his presentation focussed on the subject of Republican President candidate, Donald Trump’s success in the primaries. He cited Trump’s success was emblamatic of a larger trend and should not be dismissed as a fluke. Further, media bias is not ideological, but rather bias towards sensationalism and ratings -- Trump being a mastermind in using existing media bias to his advantage.

With the current polarization between both parties, he said the stakes were even higher. He called on Americans to play an active role to protect their political system, not be complacent, and to protect freedoms.

Those attending applauded Klein on on his diverse perspective and well-versed analysis and discussion.

Written with credit to: Naaz Modan, The Hoya.

Read a review of the event:
Klein Talks Role of Trump in 2016 Elections, March 22, 2016 by William Zhu, The Hoya

An excerpt from the introduction to this evening's event printed with the permission of D.J. Angelini, Vice-Chair of Internal Affairs, GU Lecture Fund (2015-2016).

“ Throughout preparations for this event (Ezra Klein), I’ve spent a lot of time thinking how important this annual event is to our organization and the greater Georgetown community ... the esteemed line-up of past speakers we’ve brought to campus who live up to the tremendous legacy set by former Lecture Fund Chair, Michael Jurist. In my three years on Lecture Fund and through conversations with alumni, I’ve gotten an insight into the exemplary person who’s made tremendous impact on our organization. Each year, LF looks to bring a speaker who encapsulates one of Michael’s diverse passions -- politics, athletics, travel, gastronomy. But, even beyond this annual lecture series, Michael is remembered for being an incredible son, family member, friend and Hoya.

For LF, Michael is remembered for his fervent commitment to free speech and dialogue and every Tuesday evening when 30 LF members get together with our advisor, we look to the ideals set by Michael, a Chair remembered for his commitment to free-flowing speech, events measured in impact, not audience size or flare. Michael’s passion for that mission has carried on year after year through the Lecture Fund.”

Quote from an email dated March 17, 2016 with the permission of Erika Cohen Derr, Asst. Dean for Student Engagement/Director, Center for Student Engagement, Georgetown University

“I have been thinking of Michael a lot lately. Every few years, when Lecture Fund finds itself with a controversial event, we go back to past events where things were handled well. One of these was an event Michael planned with the Minutemen. It was highly sensitive, and he handled the controversy so beautifully - with patience and evenness toward all vested groups, a sense of calm that helped set the tone for the event, and a true fearlessness in the face of anger, vitriol and calls for censorship. He really did not shy away from the difficult moments. It’s a quality I think is passed down to current generations of students through this lecture.

There’s a thread of emails between students and GULF alumni going on right now about tonight’s lecture, and the warmth of feeling about Michael as a friend, as a leader, as a fellow Hoya live on in so many people. We all miss him.”

Lost on a train, at the age of five, not knowing his family name or where he was from, Saroo survived on the streets of Calcutta for weeks before being taken into an orphanage and adopted by a couple in Australia. His absorbing account of survival and triumph against incredible odds is a moving and poignant true story of his life journey and his search, via Google Earth decades later, to finally find his lost family and home in early 2012.

Speaking to a packed auditorium of over 130 students, Mr. Brierley shared clear recollections, the fear of being lost and the anguish of separation and participated in a lengthy and informative Q&A period. His story celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit: hope.

On Thursday, April 19, 2018, Georgetown University Lecture Fund hosted Michael’s 10th Annual Lecture Fund event featuring Pete Souza, Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama’s two terms. Mr. Souza also served Photographer for former President Ronald Reagan.

The Lecture which honored Michael’s Lecture Fund legacy and addressed a full audience in Gaston Hall, was an extremely memorable and special event given that Michael was a big fan of Obama and was Chair of Lecture Fund in 2006/07 when Lecture Fund hosted, then Senator Obama, pre-election at an event at Georgetown.

Speaker Pete Souza, a very talented, warm and genuine photo specialist who captured Obama’s time in politics in a million-plus photos, provided those in attendance with an in-depth glimpse into all aspects of family, political and presidential dealings and activities during Obama’s 8-year term. His multitude of powerful and frank images are now documented in his bestseller book “Obama: An Intimate Portrait”. Souza shared his captured highs and lows of the job of Commander in Chief, the transformative President at work, as a husband or Dad as well as leader of the United States. When asked how he “did his job”, he responded the majority of the photographs were unplanned, he basically followed the President throughout his two terms and captured everyday moments during the President’s day. Souza, obviously, had an innate talent, eye, and strong respect and dedication for Obama. We are very grateful he shared his insight on behalf of our Michael.

• Former White House Photographer Pete Souza Captures Aspects of Obama’s Daily Life Through Images by Cady Stantonk, The Hoya
• Photos of the Week: April 20 photo by Subul Malik, The Hoya

Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Reporter and Author unleashed a compelling and dark indictment of global capitalism and social decline in the United States at the 11th Annual Lecture Fund event hosted by Georgetown University on Monday, April 1, 2019.

Author of “America: The Farewell Tour”, his latest of several earlier books critiquing American Society, Hedges focussed on the devastating effects of corporate influence in politics in the United States and entire world. His provocative and controversial view centered on how bitter despair and malaise have resulted in a culture of sadism and hate, a society that has ceased to function, which is further compounded by the effects of global upheaval caused by catastrophic climate change. “The American Empire is coming to an end” writes Hedges “The Death spiral appears to be unstoppable, the United States as we know it will no longer exist within a decade or, at most, two”.

Hedges hope for future: Determined civic resistance, bonds of solidarity and consciousness.

• Journalist Chris Hedges Criticizes Corporate Influence in Politics by Erika Gebhardt, The Hoya

This year’s 12th Annual Lecture Fund Speaker Event which was to be held in April 2020 was forced to cancel due to Covid-19 Pandemic closures.

This year’s 13th Annual Lecture Fund Speaker Event which was to be held in 2021 was forced to cancel due to Covid-19 Pandemic closures.

On Tuesday, March 22, 2022, Georgetown University, after a two-year postponement due to Covid pandemic closures, resumed their annual Michael Jurist Lecture event and hosted Ta-Nehisi Coates, award-winning author and journalist. The lecture which drew a large audience of students was held in Gaston Hall.

Coates, while National Correspondent at The Atlantic, was pivotal in driving the national dialogue around politics and race for a decade until 2018 when he left to pursue more creative work. He reflected on his journalism years and his continued motivation and drive to amplify man’s understanding of the roots and reality of slavery and its effects on America and its history. (Refer to April 5 News Story link).

The evening’s dialogue was moderated by Angelyn Mitchell, an associate professor in the Departments of English and African American Studies. Mitchell’s African American Studies course focuses on Coates’ many essays and encourages and challenges students to understand the importance, concern and significance of race in America.

Coates best-selling books include The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power, and Between The World And Me, which won the National Book Award in 2015. His first novel, The Water Dancer, was released in September 2019, the same year he was a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.

• Ta-Nehisi Coates Discusses Race and U.S. Politics with Georgetown Professor by Hayden Frye (C’17), Georgetown College News

Held April 27th, featured activist, writer and lecturer Dr. Angela Davis in conversation moderated by Professor Zandra Robinson of The African Studies Department. Davis’ lecture to a packed auditorium of 400+ focussed on “Imagining Abolition”.

An internationally recognized symbol of resistance in a period when images of Black women were scarce, Dr. Davis spoke of her childhood growing up in the segregated South, her activism born of values learned from her mother and her own struggles against racism and experiences as a Black woman within a community of Black Abolitionists.

Davis emphasized that challenging traditional understanding of history, thinking beyond the bounds of nation and citizenship, and institutional and cultural memory were central to ensuring abolition momentum. Her work focus is on prisons, police, abolition, and related intersections of race, gender and class.

Her remarks resonated with a student body familiar with the tradition of organizing and carrying out collective action. A very inspiring and thought-provoking speaker, Dr. Davis participated in a lengthy post-lecture Q&A period.

• Angela Davis talks Black joy, power of community in Gaston Hall Lecture, by Amanda Yen, The Georgetown Voice

This year’s guest speaker at the Michael Jurist Lecture, held April 2nd, was Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark A. Milley (Retired). Held in Gaston Hall, to a packed audience of students, special guests and faculty, General Milley focussed on the various foreign challenges to the United States - the conflicts in the Mideast, Asia and Europe, as well as the threat of domestic military politicization endangering upcoming elections.

In conversation with Georgetown Professor Daniel Byman, Director of Security Studies Program, General Milley gave a captivating and compelling historical overview of past wars and conflicts and warned of current and future rising tensions, potentially expanding into wider regional or even continent-wide conflict. He told the audience the next two decades were crucial and challenging in understanding fundamental differences in culture, history and interests in order to avoid conflict and work towards improving relationships, on domestic and foreign fronts.

General Mark. A. Milley (retired) joined Georgetown University in 2024, as a Distinguished Fellow in Residence with the Security Studies Program in the School of Foreign Service.

• Jurist Lecture: Retired General Milley Warns of Foreign, Domestic Challenges, by Aamir Jamil, The Hoya