Liz Cheney, who chaired the House Republican Conference, the third-highest position in the House Republican leadership, and served as Vice Chair of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol, will deliver the annual Kenner Lecture on Cultural Understanding.
The event will be held at 8 p.m. on Feb. 27 in Zoellner Arts Center’s Baker Hall. It will be followed by a moderated question-and-answer session with Cheney. The lecture is free and open to the public but tickets are required and can be reserved through Zoellner Arts Center.
Cheney was the U.S. Rep for Wyoming’s at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2023. She rose to the third GOP leadership position in the House in 2019.
“At a time when America seems divided and politics are tribal, Congresswoman Cheney is a perfect choice for the Kenner Lecture,” said Robert Flowers, Herbert J. and Ann L. Siegel Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The lecture brings speakers to campus who challenge us to see things from fresh perspectives and challenges our viewpoints, and Ms. Cheney’s extensive background in politics and international affairs will undoubtedly deliver a thought-provoking address that will drive future discussions.”
Cheney also was a member of the House Armed Services Committee, China Task Force, Natural Resources Committee and the House Committee on Rules. She served previously at the State Department as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and in positions for USAID and the Department of State working in Poland, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine.
Cheney practiced law with White and Case and at the International Finance Corporation. A specialist in national security and foreign policy, she is the co-author, along with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, of “Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America.”
She received her bachelor of arts degree from Colorado College, and received her juris doctor from the University of Chicago Law School.
Hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Kenner Lecture Series was endowed by Jeffrey L. Kenner ’65 ’66 and established in 1997. Kenner, who studied industrial engineering and business administration at Lehigh, became involved in private equity and venture capital after a career as a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers (then Price Waterhouse & Co.).
In 1986, Kenner formed his own firm, Kenner & Company Inc. He served as a university trustee from 1995-2002 and was an early sponsor of the IBE (Integrated Business and Engineering) Honors Program. Kenner has long been a member of the university’s Asa Packer and Tower Societies and was inducted into the Leadership Plaza in October 2000.
Previous lecture speakers include Pulitzer Prize-winning author and staff writer at The Atlantic Anne Applebaum; New York Times columnist, podcast host and author Ezra Klein; David Ignatius, a novelist and longtime Washington Post columnist; former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, and PBS NewsHour Anchor Judy Woodruff.
