FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1 5, 2018

MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Moore, Media Relations and Editorial Specialist [email protected] 262-­‐551-­‐6021

Pulitzer-­winning author to share historical insight into divisive political climate ‘Soul of America’ writer Jon Meacham coming to Carthage on May 26 KENOSHA, Wis.– A day beforeaddressing the Class of 2018, Pulitzer Prize-­‐winning historian Jon Meacham will give a live interviewat Carthage College analyzing contemporary presid ential politicsand its effect on the nation’s soul. Sponsored by the Johnson Distinguished Visitors Program,this event is scheduled for 2 p.m. May 26 in A. F. Siebert Chapel on thecampus, 2001 Alford Park Drive. Admission is free, and the public is welcome. Carthage professor Greg Berg, longtime host of “The Morning Show” on WGTD radio, will conduct the interview. The program will include a period for questions from the audience. Meacham’s newly published book, “The Soul of America:The Battle for Our Better Angels,”grew out of his reaction to last year’s racial conflict in Charlottesville, Virginia, andtoday’s inflammatory political climate. Distilling past lessons with an aptitude the Washington Independentof Review Bookscalled “ bordering on the supernatural ,” he points to other moments in U.S. history when hope triumphed over divisiveness. His most recent presidential biography, “: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush,” debuted at No. 1 on bestsellers list in 2015. Meacham gave a eulogy for Barbara Bushat the former first lady’s funeralApril in . One of his previous works, “: in the White House,” won a Pulitzer for biography in 2009. A regular guest on the MSNBC news show “,”Meacham is a contributing editor at Time magazine and a columnist inThe New York Times Book Review. Those who cannot attend the public interview at Carthage may watch it via live stream. Tickets to Commencement are reserved for graduates and guests, but the full ceremony— including Meacham’s address — can also be viewedonline beginning at 11 a.m. May 27. Go tolive.carthage.edu for links to the streaming coverage. NOTE TO EDITORS: Jon Meacham will not be available for separate media interviews.

About Carthage College – www.carthage.edu Carthage combines an environment of reflection and self-­‐discovery with a culture of high expectation so our students uncover and ignite their true potential. A-­‐ four year, private liberal arts college with roots in the Lutheran tradition, Carthage has a prime location in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The campus,-­‐ an 80 acre arboretum on the shore of Lake Michigan, is home to 150 scholars, 2,600 full-­‐time students, and 400 part-­‐time students.