WORCESTER—Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visits the College of the Holy Cross on April 9 to deliver the 57th annual Hanify-Howland Memorial Lecture, an event honoring individuals who have made a lasting impact through public service.
Kerry’s talk, held in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom, focuses on geopolitics and sustainability.
A towering figure in American politics, Kerry served as the 68th U.S. secretary of state from 2013 to 2017, playing a central role in negotiating the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Agreement. Before that, he represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate for nearly three decades, including four years as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
A Vietnam War veteran, he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts for his service. Most recently, he served as the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.
In keeping with tradition, Kerry also leads a seminar with Holy Cross students before the lecture, offering them a chance to ask questions.
Since its founding in 1965, the Hanify-Howland Lecture series has featured a roster of high-profile speakers, including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas ’71, investigative journalist Bob Woodward, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones.
The annual event is named in honor of Judge Edward F. Hanify, a 1904 Holy Cross graduate, and was endowed by Weston Howland to recognize excellence in public service.
The event is free and open to the public.
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