W&L Contact Committee Hosts Virtual Visits with Former Presidential Candidates W&L’s Contact Committee presents two separate evenings with former presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Andrew Yang as part of a virtual speaker series leading up to the presidential election.

By Erica Turman
October 16, 2020

In October, Washington and Lee University’s Contact Committee will present two separate evenings with former presidential candidates, Jeb Bush and Andrew Yang, as part of a virtual speaker series leading up to the presidential election.

Bush, former governor of Florida and founder of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, will join W&L virtually on Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Bush will discuss his political accomplishments and 2016 presidential campaign along with education reform and more. Bob Strong, William Lyne Wilson Professor in Political Economy and Interim Head of the Politics Department, will moderate the conversation.

Molly Michelmore, W&L professor of history and History Department head, will moderate Yang’s virtual visit on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Yang, an entrepreneur and former Democratic presidential nominee, will discuss his 2020 presidential run, economic policy ideas and more.

Both events are free and open to the entire W&L community. Members of the campus community can register online:

For Bush: go.wlu.edu/jebbush

For Yang: go.wlu.edu/andrewyang

This series is not a campaign or candidate endorsement appearance by either speaker on behalf of President Donald Trump, Vice President Joe Biden, or any other public office candidate. The Contact Committee encourages students to attend both events and thoughtfully consider both speakers’ perspectives and ideologies. In a message to the campus, the committee said, “We hope this will be an opportunity for students to learn more about each respective party’s platform, values and priorities leading up to the general election, and the future of each party. We also hope for each speaker to bring a distinct background and speak to their past experiences.”