Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to cap off two-day Hancock Symposium with prestigious John Findley Gr

Fulton, Mo. ‒ Aug. 26, 2025: Westminster College is pleased to announce Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon will deliver the 60th John Findley Green Foundation Lecture at 2 p.m. on Sept. 17 in Champ Auditorium. Nixon’s address is part of the 20th Annual Hancock Symposium, Sept. 16-17, themed “Justice: For All?”

The public is cordially invited to attend. Registration for Gov. Nixon’s address is highly encouraged.

This year’s Symposium brings to campus nearly 20 highly accomplished individuals in the fields of law, civil rights, capital defense, transgender rights, the environment, social inequality and much more. Read about each individual on Westminster’s website.

Launched in 2006, the Hancock Symposium is the College’s signature event, representing the finest aspects of a Westminster education. Classes are paused during the two engaging days of lectures, allowing students, faculty and staff to attend panel discussions and presentations by noted experts on one particular subject of global interest, challenging everyone with innovative ideas.

The prestigious John Findley Green Foundation Lecture was established in 1936 and is the very same lecture that placed Westminster on the world stage when former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered his famous “Iron Curtain” speech on campus. Other notable past speakers include Robert Kennedy Jr., Sir Bob Geldof, Dr. Bennet Omalu, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Former Secretary Madeleine Albright, among many others.

Dr. Tobias Gibson, Hancock Symposium Committee Chair and Professor of Political Science and Security Studies, said that Nixon’s address will be comprehensive, encapsulating his experience not only as governor, but also as a former Missouri state senator and attorney general.

“Gov. Nixon is truly inspired by this year’s topic of ‘Justice: For All?’ and anticipates close examination of the subject in his address,” Gibson said. “We are excited to hear an engaging speech, informed by his unique and varied career. On behalf of the 2025 Hancock Symposium and John Findley Green Foundation Lecture committees, I am truly pleased to invite the public to attend the Green Lecture, which promises to be of interest to everyone, regardless of political affiliation.”

Read more about Nixon here.

Following the John Findley Green Foundation Lecture, the public is invited to attend a reception on Westminster’s Latshaw Plaza, next to Champ Auditorium, until 5:30 p.m., and to visit America’s National Churchill Museum free of charge after the lecture until 6:30 p.m.

Register for the lecture and reception on Westminster’s website.

The Hancock Symposium is funded in perpetuity by a generous gift from alumnus David Hancock ’67 of Kansas City, Missouri. The John Findley Green Foundation lecture was established in 1936 as a memorial to John Findley Green, an attorney in St. Louis who graduated from Westminster in 1884. The endowed fund makes it possible to present lectures designed to promote understanding of economic and social problems of international concern.

ABOUT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE: Founded in 1851 and home of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech, Westminster College is ranked prestigiously by The Princeton Review as one of 151 “Best Colleges in the Midwest” for 2026 and is one of only 37 full-participation institutions nationwide with the Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement Coalition as recognized by the Higher Learning Commission. New graduates experience a more than 90% placement rate within six months of graduation, while Westminster alumni are in the top 16% nationwide for graduate earnings. The only National Liberal Arts college in Missouri, Westminster has long been recognized for its focus on educating and inspiring students to make an impact on the world around them. Find out more about Westminster College by visiting our website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Sarah Backer at 573-220-9038 or Sarah.Backer@WCMO.edu