Lee Hamilton Visits Ivy Tech
for Town Hall Discussion

March 28, 2006    

Bloomington, Indiana—Middle school, high school, and Ivy Tech students learned about the halls of Congress from former Congressman Lee Hamilton (D-Indiana) during a Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, March 28, 2006.  Hamilton discussed “Why Congress Matters?” during an hour-long discussion hosted by Ivy Tech’s Center for Civic Engagement.

Hamilton spoke about the importance of bipartisan personal relationships, the role of staff, the critical role of committees and subcommittees, and some of the internal organization behind activity on the floor.

John Whikehart, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington, says that Congressman Hamilton’s visit is what the Center for Civic Engagement is all about. “Ivy Tech’s Center for Civic Engagement was created to foster discussions about public service and government amongst our students and the community.  Lee Hamilton is the embodiment of what it means to be a public servant, and it is our hope that his visit will inspire students to spend their lives giving back to the communities in which they live.” 

Hamilton’s service reaches well beyond his years as a Congressman.  Following the terrorist attacks of 09/11, he was appointed Vice-Chair of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (known popularly as the 09/11 Commission).  Currently he is a member of an advisory council for the United States Department of Homeland Security and he serves as president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.  Hamilton is also the Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University.

Earlier this month, Congressman Hamilton was tapped by the United States Congress to serve on a bipartisan panel studying the U.S. war in Iraq. The panel has been tasked to study the war in Iraq and make policy recommendations for both Capitol Hill and the White House. 

Hamilton served the ninth district of Indiana in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1998.  He was a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs throughout his congressional career.  As chair of the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East (1977-1994) he significantly enhanced the congressional role in foreign policy and established himself as a leading congressional voice on foreign affairs, with particular interests in promoting democracy and market reform in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.  He was also a member of the Joint Economic Committee, serving as vice chair for eight years and chair in 1989-90.  Hamilton’s reputation for fairness and integrity led to his being selected to lead the House committee investigating the Iran-Contra affair in 1987. 

Hamilton is a graduate of DePauw University and Indiana University Law School at IU Bloomington, as well as the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and national awards for public service.  Before his election to Congress, he practiced law in Chicago and Columbus, Indiana.

Ivy Tech Community College’s Center for Civic Engagement focuses on creating a “service oriented” learning environment on campus and beyond.  The Center for Civic Engagement is comprised of community involvement and facilitation, volunteerism and service learning.