Recovering America: Keeping Our Republic in An Age of Broken Politics

In an era when American politics feels more broken than ever, two of the most respected voices of a different political age come together for a timely public conversation. Former U.S. Senators Bill Bradley and Jack Danforth reflect candidly—and personally—on how we got here, what has been lost, and what can be recovered. Drawing on stories of bipartisan friendship, faith, compromise, and public service, they will explore what politics looks like at its best, what it means to be “a republic, if you can keep it,” and how ordinary citizens can help heal a fractured nation.

Please note there will not be time for audience Q&A at this event. We are expecting a capacity crowd. Emerson Auditorium offers open seating and doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for this event. Tickets are not required and seating will be “first come, first served.” There will be a nearby overflow room for livestream viewing. All attendees are welcome to join us for a reception with the speakers immediately following the talk.

We are offering a livestream of this event at https://wustl.zoom.us/j/96005822445.

We appreciate your RSVP to rap@wustl.edu so that we can send updates and parking information.

Visitor parking is available on the fourth level of Millbrook Garage or in the Danforth University Center (DUC) underground garage. Pull a ticket at the gate when you enter. Parking is free in yellow spaces weekdays after 5 p.m. and before 7 a.m. and on weekends (you will be ticketed if in a red space at any time without a pass). For more information on parking, visit parking.wustl.edu/parking/visitor.

Please call us at (314) 935-9345 or email us at rap@wustl.edu with any questions or accommodation requests.

About the speakers

Bill Bradley is a two-time NBA champion, former U.S. Senator, and lifelong storyteller. Raised in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi River, he was an Olympic gold medalist and national College Player of the Year, and spent 10 years as a Hall-of-Fame forward for the New York Knicks, winning two NBA titles. He later served for 18 years in the United States Senate, representing the state of New Jersey; and in 2000 was a Democratic candidate for President of the United States. A graduate of Princeton and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, he has written seven books on basketball, politics, culture, and economics, including Life on the Run, Time Present, Time Past, The New American Story, and Values of the Game – all New York Times bestsellers. He currently hosts American Voices, a weekly show on SiriusXM radio that celebrates the goodness of the American people.

John C. Danforth served three terms representing the state of Missouri in the U.S. Senate after eight years of service as Missouri’s attorney general. Following his elected service, Danforth held appointments in both Republican and Democratic administrations. He was Special Envoy to Sudan, where his focus was negotiating an end to the civil war in the South, and later U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He was also special counsel in the investigation of the federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. He is currently a partner at Dowd Bennett LLC in St. Louis, Missouri. An ordained Episcopal priest, Danforth is the author of Resurrection, Faith and Politics: How the “Moral Values” Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together, and The Relevance of Religion.

Please note there will not be time for audience Q&A at this event. Emerson Auditorium offers open seating and doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for this event. Tickets are not required and seating will be “first come, first served.” There will be a nearby overflow room for livestream viewing. All attendees are welcome to join us for a reception with the speakers immediately following the talk.

We appreciate your RSVP to rap@wustl.edu so that we can send updates and parking information.

Visitor parking is available on the fourth level of Millbrook Garage or in the Danforth University Center (DUC) underground garage. Pull a ticket at the gate when you enter. Parking is free in yellow spaces weekdays after 5 p.m. and before 7 a.m. and on weekends (you will be ticketed if in a red space at any time without a pass). For more information on parking, visit parking.wustl.edu/parking/visitor.

Please call us at (314) 935-9345 or email us at rap@wustl.edu with any questions or accommodation requests.