Honoring the Legacy and Ideals of the Marquis de Lafayette

September 6, 2007, is the 250th birthday of one of the truly great and remarkable people in history—the Marquis de Lafayette, for whom our College is named.

It is the College’s good fortune to be associated with an individual who was so deeply dedicated to freedom and liberty. Lafayette believed fully in the ideal of true liberty because he understood it as “the fruition of the enactment of the rights of man.” His life was a superb example of global citizenship and service.

Throughout the 2007-08 academic year the College will celebrate the 250th birthday of the Marquis de Lafayette with special events that remind us of how applicable, especially in a global sense, the connection between a free society and an educated citizenry is today.

I am glad this year will give us the opportunity to reconnect with the ideals of the Marquis. As we chart the future of the College in our global society we can do no better than to hold close to our own hearts and our ongoing sense of purpose the enduring values of the Marquis de Lafayette.

—Daniel Weiss, President