Each year distinguished persons of the Madison and campus community are invited to address new members and their guests at the celebratory banquet that follows the induction event.
Quick Links
| Phi Beta Kappa Honored Speakers | Affiliation | Year | Speech Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Richard J. Davidson | Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds | 2019 | “Well-being is a Skill” |
| Jon Pevehouse | Professor of Political Science | 2018 | “Turning Inward: Rising American Isolationism in the Era of Globalization” |
| Judge Everett Mitchell | Branch 4, Dane County Circuit Court | 2017 | “The Power of Transformative Compassion” |
| Charles Franklin | Director of the Marquette Poll | 2016 | “An Analyst’s View of the 2016 Elections” |
| Joel DeSpain | Public Information Officer, Madison Police Department | 2015 | “A Slow Turning: From Police Protestor to PIO, Always with an Eye on the Prose” |
| Pamela Herd | Professor, Public Affairs & Sociology | 2014 | “It’s Not About IQ: Why Social and Psychological Skills Matter” |
| John Nichols | Capital Times | 2013 | “We have it in our power to begin over again: Why Tom Paine is Still Right” |
| Dave Cieslewicz | Former Mayor City of Madison | 2012 | “Coming Together in America: The Art of Disagreeing without Being Disagreeable” |
| Dave Zweifel | Capital Times, Editor Emeritus | 2011 | “The Importance of Being Informed” |
| “Biddy” Martin | Chancellor | 2010 | |
| Joe Elder | Sociology | 2009 | “Some Ideas From Asia” |
| Jeremi Suri | History | 2008 | “The Humanities and the Future of American Society” |
| R Alta Charro | Law School | 2007 | “The New Copernican Revolution: Science and the Deconstruction of Human Identity” |