The university saw the return of two of its most famous alumni Tuesday when Lynne and Dick Cheney returned to discuss Lynne Cheney’s new book, James Madison: A Life Reconsidered.
The discussion, held at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center, centered on the man that Cheney said, “more than any fellow, gave us the constitution.”
Lynne Cheney, wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has been engaging in scholarly study of Madison since 1987. She received Master of Arts from University of Colorado and a PhD in British Literature from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
The talk bounced around several different aspects of Madison’s life, from his friendship-turned-riff with President George Washington, to Madison’s work on preserving the country’s integrity during the War of 1812, to which Cheney said that, “by the end of the war, he made it clear that the U.S was a free and independent country.”
Cheney described Madison as “a very tolerant and reasonable president,” as well as a staunch defender of both religious and intellectual freedom. Madison’s greatest failure, Cheney said, was his inability to solve the problem of slavery.
“Madison regarded not knowing what to do about this evil institution as his greatest regret,” the author said.
Former Vice President Cheney spoke as well during points of the event, where he contributed his viewpoint to current affairs and recalled a story about Ronald Reagan’s unique leadership style in getting bills passed through a contentious congress.
The Cheney’s advice to current UW students was to “go see the world.” The former Vice President said students should “make sure you learn everything you can about the history of our nation.”
Jean Anne Garrison, director of the Center for Global Studies, said the Cheney’s return to the university not only gives students a chance to learn more about James Madison, but it also gives the University a chance to thank the Cheney’s for their myriad contributions to the study abroad program.
“Largely because of the Cheney’s gifts, we have the largest endowment of any public university for study abroad scholarships,” Garrison said.
Through the study abroad program, Garrison said over 1,000 students have taken advantage of scholarships to study around the world.
In terms of monetary donations, the Cheney’s, combined with matching state funds, have donated $6.4 million to the university’s study abroad program, according to a statement by UW President Dick McGinity sent to students through email the day of the event.
The talk attracted many members of the community and students alike. Joe Jackson, freshman political science major, said, “Being a political science student, I was naturally interested in the event. And I’ve always been a fan of former Vice President Cheney.”
The BI’s interview from last week with author Lynne Cheney is available on www.uwbrandingiron.com
