Former New Jersey governor and UD alumnus Chris Christie will examine the question of character in executive leadership as the speaker of the 2024 James R. Soles Lecture on the Constitution and Citizenship. The event, presented by the Department of Political Science and International Relations, will be held Thursday, Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. in Clayton Hall. Registration is required.  

The James R. Soles Lecture is held annually around Constitution Day, which commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia on Sept. 17, 1787. The endowed lecture honors the deep impact the former faculty member in Department of Political Science and International Relations had on generations of UD students, faculty, staff and the state of Delaware.

The lecture is funded by the James R. Soles Citizenship Endowment.

Established shortly before Jim Soles retired from UD in 2002 after 34 years at UD, many of his former students and colleagues created and contributed to the James R. Soles Citizenship Endowment. The endowment supports a named professorship, undergraduate citizenship stipends and graduate fellowships. Recipients have used this support in a wide range of accomplishments.