Kate Santini ‘27
Chief News Editor
The Hanify-Howland Memorial Lecture Committee is pleased to announce their 57th annual guest speaker will be the 68th U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry. Named after alum Edward F. Hanify ‘04 and Massachusetts juror, Weston Howland, the Hanify Howland Memorial Lecture Committee annually elects a speaker who has shown a deep commitment to public service throughout their career.
As the son of a World War II veteran, Kerry was determined to serve his country from an early age. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Brown Star, and three Purple Hearts for his time in the U.S. Navy. In spite of these accolades, he was outspoken in his belief that the United States should withdraw from Vietnam and co-founded the Vietnam Veterans of America to advocate for veterans’ rights, the G.I. Bill for Higher Education, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment. In 1971, he gave a particularly powerful speech before congress that discussed the psychological impacts of war and the atrocities he witnessed first-hand in Vietnam. Speaking on behalf of his fellow veterans, he famously stated that “we could come back to this country; and we could be quiet; we could hold our silence; we could not tell what went on in Vietnam, but we feel of what threatens this country, the fact that the crimes threaten it, not reds, not redcoats but the crimes which we’re committing that threaten it, that we have to speak out.”
A Massachusetts senator for three consecutive terms, Kerry led an investigation on the Iran-Contra Affair and facilitated postwar peace with Vietnam. In 2004, he ran a presidential campaign against former President George W. Bush. His campaign promises included reducing unemployment, increasing healthcare accessibility, and establishing peace with Iraq in the wake of 9/11. From 2013 to 2017, he served as Secretary of State under the Obama administration, during which he played a key role in de-escalating nuclear tensions with Iran and cementing the Paris Climate Agreement. He remained a staunch advocate for peace and continued fighting for the climate under the Biden administration as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. In a letter addressed to the U.N. Security Council High-Level Open Debate on Climate, Peace, and Security, he expressed an urgency to address the climate crisis, insisting that it “is one of the top security threats, not just to the developed world but to the entire planet, to life on the planet itself.” In 2024, he devoted much of his time to working on Biden’s presidential campaign.
Kerry published several works throughout his career, with his most recent being Everyday is Extra (2018), a memoir that documents his life from childhood to the present day. Additional publications include A Call to Service: My Vision for a Better America (2003), This Moment on Earth (2007), and The New Soldier (1972). His works expound on the strong stances on climate change, war, and peace he has espoused throughout his political career.
In the midst of a tense and divisive political climate, the College is looking forward to hosting a public figure who has demonstrated a deep commitment to social justice and international order. Kerry’s lecture will focus on geopolitics and sustainability, giving way to a moderated Q&A session. The Hanify-Howland Memorial Lecture Committee is also accepting questions from students and faculty in advance which can be emailed to hanify-howland@holycross.edu. Stay tuned for emails and look for flyers on campus for more details.
Copy Edited by Lilly Baumfeld ‘27
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Magazine
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