Vice President Pence has been selected to deliver the commencement address at Hillsdale College, a small but influential private school in Michigan.
“We are proud to have Pence, a man of principled public service, of strong constitutional views, and of deep faith at our campus,” Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn said in announcing the May 12 speech. “We are glad to have him back for this culminating ceremony of college life.”
Pence, who served as governor of Indiana and as a member of Congress before becoming the 48th U.S. vice president, has been at events at Hillsdale before, in 2010 and 2011. Some of the administrators, including the college’s president, have known Pence since his time as a congressman, said Matthew Spalding, associate vice president and dean of educational programs for Hillsdale College in Washington, where the school has a center for constitutional studies.
We’re thrilled that Pence agreed to speak at the school’s 166th commencement, Spalding said. “He’s got a distinguished career, he’s a high official in the government — we’re delighted to have him on campus again.”
The liberal arts college has long rejected government intrusion — declining to accept federal or state dollars even in the form of grants or loans to students — and promotes civil and religious liberty.
[ Hillsdale College, subject of Senate debate, is known for rejecting federal funds ]
The Collegian, the student newspaper at Hillsdale, reported that the announcement capped a months-long search and quoted the senior class president, Razi Lane, as saying: “We get a speaker who in his public life, private life, and spiritual life embodies what we strive for here at Hillsdale College. Mike Pence captures our mission, as a father, husband, Christian, and leader of this country. I couldn’t think of a better person to address the senior class than Vice President Pence.”
