Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies
Hauenstein Center releases Fall Speaker Series lineup
Grand Valley State University's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies has released a fall lineup of speakers and events that will cover topics including living in a mid-pandemic world, the 2020 Election, the centennial of women's suffrage and more.
Sep 23, 2020
Grand Valley well-positioned to help students, new board chair says
Newly-appointed chair of the Grand Valley Board of Trustees Megan Sall said higher education helps people find themselves and shape the next stages of their lives. She said Grand Valley is well-positioned to help students achieve growth.
Jun 25, 2020
Alumnus leads grassroots effort to help W. Mich. nonprofits, small businesses
As government mandates to "stay home, stay safe" change the lives of millions of Americans, those choices of staying home instead of patronizing local businesses or volunteering are having a devastating impact on local economies. One Grand Valley alumnus, Nate Gillespie, '18, is working to lead a growing group of West Michiganders to help support local businesses and nonprofits in their most trying times.
Apr 3, 2020
Hauenstein Center launches two virtual lecture series to replace canceled events
With university events canceled and stay-at-home measures in place, possibly through the end of April, Grand Valley's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies is making a shift to engage with the community and center members through two new virtual lecture and learning opportunities.
Mar 30, 2020
Democratic socialism isn't new in America: President Johnson's "Great Society" had roots in the European welfare state
As Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders surges in popularity in early Democratic Party primaries, signaling a significant shift of the party to the left, the idea of democratic socialism is taking on new life in some of the party's policy recommendations. Some candidates seeking the Democratic nomination demonstrate this new-found popularity in what they propose on the national stage. While some of these views are seen as generational, many young voters don't know the full extent of democratic socialism's past.
Feb 27, 2020
Why Presidents' Day should focus more on George Washington
Presidents' Day in 21st century America tends to focus on sales for mattresses and household furniture; a holiday that's become "vanilla" from its intended roots, according to Gleaves Whitney, director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley.
Feb 17, 2020
Stories from the Tripartite Pact, Pearl Harbor, and the start of World War II
Pia Kurusu White was just a girl when her father, the late Saburo Kurusu, took part in two significant events in 1940 and 1941 that led to the beginning of the United States' involvement in World War II, but she vividly remembers her father's recounting of the hours before the attacks on Pearl Harbor and his role in signing the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy.
Feb 5, 2020
"Separate but Equal" and racial inequality in America
The phrase "separate but equal" is something many Americans have come to associate with part of the long fight for equal rights. But few of those Americans know the details about how the foundation of "separate but equal" came to be.
Jan 22, 2020
Hauenstein Center to host experts on George Marshall, Arthur Vandenberg
Grand Valley's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies will host authors David Roll and Hank Meijer for a discussion about two leaders who were fundamental to the implementation of the Marshall Plan in post-WW II Europe.
Dec 9, 2019
Hauenstein Center will host expert to discuss equality and the Declaration of Independence
The concept that "all men are created equal" is a concept that has been enshrined in the American political spirit since it was included in the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But do Americans fully understand the language and context of the Declaration, especially when it comes to equality? Grand Valley State University's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies will host political philosopher and director of Harvard University's Edmund J. Safra Center for Ethics, Danielle Allen, to discuss the topic.
Nov 5, 2019