by Miriam Bamberger
Special Projects Writer

Courtesy University Archives First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg at 1994's Commencement ceremony.

Courtesy University Archives White House Communications Director George Stephanopoulos holds a press conference in the Marvin Center in 1993.

Courtesy University Archives Vice President Al Gore at a 1997 conference.

The last decade has brought about great change to GW as the legacies of past presidents and the ambition of current President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg have propelled a one-time, small academic institution to a position of greater prestige never imagined more than 180 years ago. The combined goals of Lloyd Elliott and Trachtenberg focused largely on integrating GW into the political sphere of D.C. ­ using location as the University's greatest asset. As a result, GW has drawn some of the most notable political figures of the day to campus.

When Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd president of the United States in 1993, GW became the home of the Inaugural Press Center. On Jan. 19, the new White House communications director, George Stephanopoulos, held a televised press conference in the Marvin Center. The Dorothy Betts Theatre and the Continental Ballroom served as temporary press centers for journalists from around the world, including some student journalists.

A White House correspondent for The Washington Times said at the time, "GW replaced the White House for a few days Š and the media center serves an important role as a place for information to be distributed."

The honor of hosting the press center was only the beginning of a string of notable political events at GW during the Clinton administration. In 1994, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed GW graduates at the Commencement ceremony.

The first lady reminisced about the University and noted the changes that had taken place since she lived in Foggy Bottom in 1968 while working as an intern. Her speech focused primarily on the topic of community responsibility and the opportunities available to Americans.

"What is marvelous and wonderful about coming of age in America today, despite all the problems we face, is that you have so many more choices to craft your own life than any previous generation had," Clinton said.

President Clinton returned to GW Aug. 5, 1996, when he delivered an address at Lisner Auditorium. Clinton had just signed a bill imposing sanctions on companies with heavy investments in Libya and Iran. Foreshadowing future events, Clinton urged Americans to "stand strong against the moments of terror that would destroy our spirit, to stand for the values that have brought us so many blessings."

A few months later, it was the vice president's turn to visit campus. On Jan. 15, 1997, Al Gore spoke at the Marvin Center during a three-day conference on aviation safety. Gore discussed the actions of the Defense Department and the Federal Aviation Agency.

The following day, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia visited the GW Law School. Justice Scalia was one of several notable law figures who helped judge the Jacob Burns Van Vleck Constitutional Law Moot Court competition finals held by the law school on Jan. 16, 1997.

On April 15, 1997, former Soviet President and Nobel Prize recipient Mikhail Gorbachev visited GW to receive the President's medal for his part in ending the Cold War. Gorbachev, also the founding president of Green Cross International, spoke to students on environmental security and conflict over international water resources. Gorbachev pointedly addressed the U.S. isolationist approach to the environment.

"This is a country that is linked with the entire world," he said. "If you have it good here while things are bad everywhere, that will not be a solution to environmental problems."

In addition to discussing population growth and control and international resource sharing, Gorbachev also lamented the widespread lack of public interest in environmental issues.

The Hatchet provided extensive coverage of Gorbachev's visit. The front page of the April 17, 1997, Hatchet ran two stories about the former Soviet leader alongside three pictures of him.

Politicians were not the only famous faces around GW in the 1990s. In November 1998 GW hosted "Religion Week" as part of the Democratic Invention series, which was created to promote "unity and understanding" on campus. On Nov. 9, 1998, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, spoke at Lisner Auditorium under heavy security.

The Hatchet reported that the Dalai Lama did not read a pre-written speech. He instead "spoke off-the-cuff about his life and intentions and avoided using his interpreter, relying on his own broken English."

In 1999, the University hosted another Nobel Prize recipient as the Commencement keynote speaker. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his nonviolent opposition to the apartheid government and its legacy of racial discrimination in South Africa.

Trachtenberg emphasized the importance of Tutu's message to students, saying, "Tutu stood up for his convictions at great personal risk and is now realizing his dreams of racial justice in South Africa. Our graduates can draw inspiration from his examples as they look to their own futures."