Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will speak at events on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock.
“A Conversation with President Bill Clinton and Jesse Tyler Ferguson” will take place at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the Wally Allen Ballroom of the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. During a conversation with Ferguson, an Emmy-nominated actor and host of the podcast “Dinner’s on Me,” the former president will discuss his new book, “Citizen: My Life After the Whitehouse,” a first-person chronicle of his post-presidential years.
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as cast members from “The West Wing” and others, will commemorate the anniversary during a Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture at 1 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the Robinson Center in Little Rock.
The Clintons will reflect on their legacy of public service, from their work during the Clinton Administration to the ongoing work of the Clinton Foundation and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock. Speakers will discuss leadership, citizenship and the future of public service.
In addition to Bill and Hillary Clinton, participants include Jay Barth, director of the Clinton Presidential Center; Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, dean of the Clinton School; Greg Milne, CEO of the Clinton Global Initiative; Stephanie S. Streett, executive director of the Clinton Foundation; and Darrin Williams, CEO of Southern Bancorp.
Other guests include AnnMaura Connolly, president at Voices for National Service and chief strategy officer and executive vice president at City Year; Liz Dozier, founder and CEO of Chicago Beyond; Melissa Fitzgerald, actor, author and director of strategic engagement at All Rise; Mark Gearan, president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges; Stephen Goodin, executive director of strategic engagement at NextEra Energy Resources; actor Dulé Hill; Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt; journalist Laura Ling; Capricia Penavic Marshall, former U.S. chief of protocol; and actor, director and writer Richard Schiff.
The event is at capacity. Click here to RSVP for the live stream.
Over the past two decades, the Clinton Center has generated billions of dollars in economic impact, brought in 5.2 million visitors from around the world and welcomed more than half a million students and educators to the facility at no charge. The center has showcased more than 60 temporary exhibits, hosted thousands of public and educational programs, and aided the community during times of crisis.
“The thing I want most is for people … whether they’re Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives, to see that public service is noble and important, that the choices and decisions leaders make affect the lives of millions of Americans and people all across the world,” Bill Clinton said at the Center’s grand opening in 2004. “I want young people to … see not only what I did with my life but to see what they could do with their lives because this is mostly the story of what we, the people, can do when we work together.”
The Clinton Foundation announced in August 2023 that the Clinton Center is set to undergo a “major expansion,” which will be designed by Studio Gang in collaboration with Polk Stanley Wilcox in Little Rock. The project is geared toward providing enhanced opportunities for education, exhibits and events. One anticipated addition is the new Hillary Rodham Clinton Institute, which will house her personal archives and serve as a hub for her nonprofit and advocacy work.
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