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President Carter speaking at Emory

Carter Town Hall

A treasured tradition for Emory's first-year students

Aug. 25, 2022

The Carter Town Hall began in 1982 when former U.S. President Jimmy Carter became an Emory University Distinguished Professor. For 38 consecutive years, Carter was the sole keynote speaker, offering his wit and wisdom in response to student questions. Now, the time-honored tradition gives first-year students an opportunity to engage in interactive dialogue with international thought leaders.

“The partnership that has grown between The Carter Center and Emory University, and myself and Emory University, has been one of the highlights of my life.”

2022 Keynote Speaker: Megan Rapinoe 

Brilliant athlete, change leader, champion of justice 

A portrait of Megan Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe will be the keynote speaker for Emory's 2022 Carter Town Hall.

Two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist Megan Rapinoe will deliver the keynote address at Emory University’s 41st Carter Town Hall, slated for Monday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m.

Rapinoe is one of the most decorated athletes in women’s soccer history and has been a vocal leader on and off the field.  

She helped lead the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team to the 2019 Women’s World Cup championship, scoring some of the biggest goals of the tournament. She took home the World Cup’s top honors — the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball — for being the top scorer and the best player in the tournament.  

In addition to Rapinoe’s many athletic accomplishments, she supports multiple LGBTQIA+ organizations, including the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Athlete Ally. She also advocates for pay equity, and her efforts contributed to a historic agreement reached in May for the US Soccer Federation to pay the national men's and women's soccer teams equally. 

Rapinoe received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022. She was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, and she is a New York Times best-selling author. 

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Have a question for the Carter Town Hall keynote speaker? Submit your question.

2022 Carter Town Hall

Monday, Sept. 19, 7 p.m. 

Admission: Carter Town Hall is a ticketed event for first-year students at Emory University. First-year students will receive information about tickets and registration via email.

Livestream: The event will be livestreamed for additional viewing. You must register to view the livestream.

Register for the livestream here.