Madison Vision Series Hosts Former Political Figures
JMU News
Media Advisory
Just ahead of the November election, the Madison Vision Series is bringing Congress to Campus, which will further the mission of an engaged and educated university community.
On Thursday, November 1 at 3:30 p.m., former Members of Congress Nick Rahall (D) and Jim Coyne (R) will explore and combat the deep partisan divide in our country through open dialogue. They will be discussing the importance and impact of the November election, the current political landscape, and the importance of a bi-partisan approach to politics.
Former Congressman Jim Coyne retired in 2013 after 18 years as president of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). Prior to taking the helm of NATA, Coyne was a member of the House of Representatives, a business man, and Reagan political appointee. He was elected to represent the 8thDistrict of Pennsylvania and while in Congress, Coyne was deeply engaged in issues pertaining to banking, energy, technology, trade, and fiscal policy. He holds degrees from Yale University and Harvard Business School.
First elected in 1976, former Congressman Nick Rahall was the youngest elected and longest serving member in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented West Virginia’s 3rdCongressional District. Rahall’s reputation to work across party aisles was well known and earned deep respect from his colleagues in Congress from across the political spectrum. Prior to his career in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rahall owned and operated a travel agency, partnered with his late father on a variety of business interests, and served as a top aid to the late U.S. Senator Robert Byrd.
The Madison Vision Series honors James Madison’s conviction that cultivating an informed and educated citizenry is essential to the health of our republican democracy. By hosting these timely speakers, students, faculty and staff, and members of the community have easy access to a variety of topics and influencers. The speakers afford students the opportunity to learn and experience what life in their field may look like and provide dialogue for both sides of an issue.
This discussion will be held on Thursday, November 1 at 3:30 p.m. in the Grafton-Stovall Theatre in Madison Union and is free and open to the public. Parking for this event will be available in the Mason Street or Warsaw Avenue parking decks.
Media contact: Mary-Hope Vass, vassmg@jmu.edu, 540-568-7487.
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