The University of Notre Dame鈥檚 will commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, with a special edition of its annual Jeanie Poole O鈥橲haughnessy Memorial Lecture at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, in the Leighton Concert Hall at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.
鈥溾�� will bring together four distinguished members of the Notre Dame community and beyond to reflect on their personal experiences of September 11 and the lasting significance of that day for American civic life: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh; Rev. Edward A. 鈥淢onk鈥� Malloy, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame; Jennie Bradley Lichter, Notre Dame alumna and senior advisor to the March for Life Education and Defense Fund; and James J. 鈥淛immy鈥� Dunne III, Notre Dame trustee and vice chairman and senior managing principal of Piper Sandler. The conversation will be moderated by , director of the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.
The conversation will offer an opportunity not only to remember the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives, but also to consider what 9/11 means for America. Drawing on the panelists鈥� personal experiences of the day itself and their careers in law, higher education, public service and business, the conversation will explore how September 11 continues to shape our understandings of citizenship, solidarity, sacrifice and leadership 鈥� and what those experiences might teach a new generation about the responsibilities of life in a constitutional democracy.
鈥淭wenty-five years after September 11, we have an opportunity to remember the lives that were lost, recall the extraordinary acts of courage and selflessness that were displayed, and also to ask what 9/11 teaches us about our responsibilities to one another and to our country,鈥� said Mu帽oz. 鈥淎t the center, we believe that remembering our history is essential to forming citizens capable of sustaining our constitutional order and pursuing the common good.鈥�
Kavanaugh has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2018, following his nomination by President Donald J. Trump. On 9/11/2001, he was associate counsel in the White House of former President George W. Bush.
Father Malloy is a professor of theory and Christian ethics. On 9/11/2001, he was president of the University of Notre Dame.
Lichter, a 2004 Notre Dame graduate, is senior advisor to and former president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. On 9/11/2001, she was a sophomore at Notre Dame. She has served in senior legal, policy and public-sector roles, including as deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration.
Dunne is vice chairman and senior managing principal of Piper Sandler and a longtime leader in the financial services industry. A 1980 Notre Dame graduate, he served as the University鈥檚 2021 Commencement speaker and received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Notre Dame.
The Jeanie Poole O鈥橲haughnessy Memorial Lecture was established in 2022 following the death of Jeanie Poole O鈥橲haughnessy, a beloved friend and supporter of the center. It is and was made possible through the generosity of her husband, J. Patrick O鈥橲haughnessy, Jeanie鈥檚 friends and the O鈥橲haughnessy family. The event aims to help Notre Dame students and the Notre Dame community connect scholarship and education concerning the ideas and institutions of constitutional government with the principles put into practice by the individuals shaping the civic fabric of our country.
Previous Jeanie Poole O鈥橲haughnessy Memorial Lecture speakers have included U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. The lecture reflects the center鈥檚 broader commitment to introducing Notre Dame students to prominent public figures and providing opportunities to consider the principles, virtues and responsibilities that accompany civic leadership.
The Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government seeks to cultivate thoughtful and educated citizens by supporting scholarship and education concerning the ideas and institutions of constitutional government. Through lectures, seminars, fellowships and other programs, the center seeks to prepare students to participate thoughtfully in civic life and contribute to the public good.
The 鈥溾�� event is free but ticketed. The conversation will also be livestreamed .
While tickets are no longer available through the center鈥檚 website, a limited number of tickets will be available in a standby line at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center the day of the event to students, faculty and staff with a valid Notre Dame ID. If you have questions about how you may obtain a ticket, or for any other matter pertaining to 鈥�25 Years After 9/11,鈥� please reach out to CCCG Assistant Director Anna Bradley at abradle4@nd.edu.
Originally published by at on Aug. 28.