Lawrence, the 10th Secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s first and most prestigious honor society, will deliver the James P. Elder Lecture titled “Free Expression on Campus in Challenging Times."
Frederick M. Lawrence, the 10th Secretary/CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, will deliver the James P. Elder Lecture on April 3 at 6:30 p.m. in Elon University’s Whitley Auditorium.
An accomplished scholar, teacher and attorney, Lawrence is one of the nation’s leading experts on civil rights, free expression and bias crimes. A distinguished lecturer at the Georgetown Law Center, he previously served as president of Brandeis University, dean of the George Washington University Law School and visiting professor and senior research scholar at Yale Law School.
He is the author of “Punishing Hate: Bias Crimes Under American Law,” a book that examined bias-motivated violence and the laws governing how that violence is punished in the United States. He is an opinion contributor to The Hill and U.S. News & World Report, and frequently contributes opinion pieces to Newsweek, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Observer, The New York Daily News and The Huffington Post.
As secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, he has focused on advocacy for the arts, humanities and sciences, championing free expression, free inquiry and academic freedom. Phi Beta Kappa has more than 290 chapters, including Elon’s chapter, and nearly 50 alumni associations.
The James P. Elder Lecture series was first endowed by former students of the popular professor and mentor. An estate gift from Elder in 2021 doubled the endowment of the speaker series, ensuring it will endure for future generations.
The Elder Lecture is the final event in the 2024-25 season of the Elon University Speaker Series with the 2025-26 series returning this fall and featuring top names in sports, media, and ethics.
Admission is $15 or free with an Elon ID. Tickets are available now at ElonTickets.com.