Jon Huntsman Jr. first appeared in the national arena as a Republican contender for the 2012 presidential election, where he became identified as the candidate who preferred civil discourse and to focus on sensible public policies that would strengthen America at home and in the world. He arrived at this position after building distinguished careers in business, governance and diplomacy.
For his Assembly Series presentation at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, in Graham Chapel on Washington University in St. Louis’ Danforth Campus, Huntsman will assess our nation’s status in his talk, “Opportunities and Challenges Facing America Today.”
The event is free and open to the public, though seating for the public will be limited due to an anticipated large campus turnout.
The event is sponsored by the Washington University Political Review, a student organization committed to fostering awareness of political issues and creating friendly and open avenues of discussion for students of all political ideologies; and Student Union, the undergraduate student government at WUSTL that provided funding for this event. Co-sponsors include the Gephardt Institute for Public Service and the Murray Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy.
Huntsman began his career in public service as a staff assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He since has served four presidents in roles that include ambassador to Singapore, deputy assistant secretary of commerce for Asia, U.S. trade ambassador, and, most recently, U.S. ambassador to China.
Under his watch as governor of Utah, from 2005-09, the state was ranked first in job creation and singled out as the best-managed state in the nation by the Pew Center. In 2009, he resigned as governor to become U.S. ambassador to China, an appointment made by President Barack Obama. He served in this capacity until resigning in 2011 to begin his presidential run.
Currently, Huntsman serves as a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution. In addition, he co-chairs a citizens’ initiative called “No Labels,” promoting a new politics of problem solving, and hosts a weekly radio program on SiriusXM by the same name.
Huntsman graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in international studies.
For more information on this lecture or for future events, visit the Assembly Series website or call 314-935-4620.