U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to speak, Sept. 30

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has accepted an invitation to deliver the keynote address on Friday, Sept. 30, opening a year of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Rice will speak at 2:45 p.m. in Jadwin Gymnasium. Her address is part of a Sept. 30-Oct. 1 kickoff that also will feature speakers from the Princeton Project on National Security, a major bi-partisan initiative bringing academics and policymakers together to re-examine the fundamental assumptions underlying U.S. national security strategy.

"I cannot imagine a better person to launch our 75th anniversary celebrations," said Woodrow Wilson School Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter. "For 75 years the Woodrow Wilson School has been preparing Princeton students dedicated to serving the nation and the world through careers in public and international affairs. Secretary Rice's career exemplifies those values; she has held the highest level positions in and out of government and is currently shaping policy on many of the most important issues of our time."

Also as part of the kickoff, Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, a Princeton alumnus who has been in charge of the Multi-National Security Transition Command in Iraq, and Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will speak on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Other events scheduled for the 2005-06 year include a 75th anniversary speaker series at the Woodrow Wilson School, regional events across the country, international events in London and Tokyo, and various conferences on issues of public and international affairs. In February the school will host a symposium at Princeton to examine the changes and challenges in attracting the best and the brightest to government. 

"This anniversary celebration allows us to recognize the Woodrow Wilson School's first 75 years of distinguished achievement in public and international affairs, but it also allows us to look ahead to the many future contributions the school will make to addressing major national and global issues," Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman said. "Secretary Rice left the position of provost at one of our peer institutions to serve our government at the highest levels, and this visit will give our students and others an opportunity to engage her in conversation about some of the major issues for which she has responsibility."

Rice, a former provost at Stanford University, will take questions following her address. Tickets for the address are being made available to students, alumni, faculty and staff via a lottery system. A limited number of tickets will be made available to members of the Princeton community.

The lottery for students, faculty and staff with Princeton University IDs will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, and will close at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. Members of the public who would like to attend cannot participate in the lottery, but must come in person to Jadwin Gymnasium between noon and 6 p.m. Sept. 26 or Sept. 27 to pick up a ticket on a first-come, first-served basis. One ticket will be allotted per person, and all individuals must bring a government-issued photo ID. The same ID should be brought the day of the event for identification by all those attending.

Further details about the campus lottery are available on Woodrow Wilson School's 75th anniversary Web site, where regular updates will continue to be posted.

The event will be Webcast live; viewing information is available online. It also will be simulcast in McCosh 50 and Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall.

Journalists who wish to receive more information about the event should submit contact information to the Office of Communications at (609) 258-3601 by noon Tuesday, Sept. 27.