About the Philip and Mary Shannon Speaker Series

The Philip and Mary Shannon Speaker Series at Seton Hall University presents distinguished lecturers with a recognized global perspective on current international issues. In early 2004, Seton Hall University will host the Philip and Mary Shannon Speaker Series election-year program, examining the role of values in the presidency. This program will bring renowned presidential biographers to campus to explore the role of values in shaping presidents and the presidency.

They will share insights on how personal values impact the presidency, including how the presidents’ personal values were shaped from childhood experiences to major life events, and how those values played a role in their presidencies and therefore in the shaping of the country. This program will be especially relevant in the upcoming election year. We believe this event presents an excellent opportunity to inform and engage New Jersey residents.

Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times, delivered the inaugural lecture in the Philip and Mary Shannon Speaker Series in October 2002, when he spoke on “The Global Economy and Foreign Policy Since 9/11.” The event was a tremendous success, drawing students, faculty and people from around the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area to the Seton Hall campus.

Philip Shannon is a member of the University's Board of Regents and the founder and retired CEO of Online Financial Corporation in Dunwoody, GA. Previously, he was a partner/owner of a computer software company in Atlanta, GA. He is president and his wife Mary is director of The Philip and Mary Shannon Foundation, a private grant-awarding foundation.