The World of Outside Experts is Closer Here
Drawing on the resources of Washington, D.C., as a political, business, and intellectual world capital, we bring experts and leaders to School who can share with students a wide range of perspectives and ideas about the world, their community, and their future. Whether addressing students during one of our annual speaker programs, in the course of a McCain-Ravenel Day, during an athletics banquet or club meeting, or in the classroom, these speakers enrich our community and encourage discussion. Episcopal has welcomed more than 170 visiting speakers over the past four years.
Annual Speaker Programs
| Chapel Talks |
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| At Episcopal, the phrase “chapel talk” refers to a speech given by a student, faculty member, or special guest during Friday chapel. Organized and run by student members of the Vestry, Friday chapel services provide a forum for community members to speak to the School about a topic that has special meaning to them. These chapel talks can be funny, insightful, challenging, moving, and often deeply personal. Each topic resonates differently with the community, but all leave a lasting impression, one that stays with the listener long after graduation. |
| Civil Dialogue Program |
| Episcopal’s Civil Dialogue Series was established in 2022 to bring together experts with different perspectives, ideologies, work experiences, and opinions to model civil discussion for the School to experience. EHS is proud to have a community culture that values civil discourse. In addition to hearing from outside experts, members of the community have multiple opportunities throughout the year to practice dialogue as a skill through workshops and conversations facilitated by the McCain-Ravenel Center. |
| The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Symposium |
| Sponsored by the Office of Community & Equity, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Symposium is a campus-wide initiative to honor Dr. King and celebrate his legacy and ideals. The symposium, which started in 2016 and occurs every January, aims to bring together a variety of voices and perspectives to foster greater awareness of the role Dr. King has played in the lives of all Americans and to facilitate conversations and that moves all of us to work toward true justice in our community and the larger global community of which we are a small part. |
| Healthy Choices |
| Episcopal’s Healthy Choices Speaker Series brings compelling speakers to campus as one of the many ways we engage students in important conversations about health and wellness and help them to develop skills to support all dimensions of their well-being. |
| Jay Walker Symposium |
| An annual event, the Jay Walker Symposium celebrates John Luther Walker, Jr. '54 and his love of music. Sponsored by Walker 's family and friends, the program brings live concerts to the EHS campus, with guest musicians working with students in class and attending an open session with student musicians. The Walker Symposium is known for bringing prominent musicians to campus. In recent years, symposium guests have included The Biscuit Burners, Black Violin, singer/songwriter Elizabeth Eckert, Robert Jospé and Inner Rhythm, Charlie Pate, Coyaba Dance Theater, Christylez Bacon, and Mdou Moctar. |
| Integrity in Action |
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The Integrity in Action lecture and award were created collaboratively by Headmaster Rob Hershey, John Burress ’54, John Walker ’79, and Ed Walker ’85 to recognize and honor former EHS faculty member Allen C. Phillips, whose life epitomizes the highest ideals of honor and integrity, which are at the core of Episcopal High School’s values. Mr. Phillips was a longtime, distinguished faculty member whose devotion to character, integrity, and sacrifice is legendary at Episcopal High School. Mr. Phillips came to Episcopal in 1951 and, with the exception of a two-year stint at St. Albans School, remained at EHS until his retirement in 1994. While at Episcopal he taught English, served as dean of students for 26 years, was faculty advisor to the Honor Committee, and coached football, basketball, and baseball. Past Recipients1999-2000: John Casteen, U.Va. president |
| Portrait in Faith |
| Portrait in Faith is an annual program that offers powerful models in Christian faith to Episcopal students in the hope that their lives will be informed, shaped, and inspired by courageous men and women. This companion event to the Theologian in Residence program was established in 1994 by Reginald E. Rutledge ’51 in honor of his wife, the Rev. Fleming Rutledge, and his family members who attended EHS. |
| Scholar-in-Residence |
| The Ben Geer Keys Scholar in Residence Program was established in 1998 by an anonymous donor. The program brings talented scholars and artists to Episcopal High School to work with students. |
| Theologian-in-Residence |
| The Theologian-In-Residence Program was established in 1993 through the generosity of Dick Rutledge ’51. The program is designed to provide the EHS students the chance to establish and/or reinforce a foundation of faith to light their path. This program is aimed at inviting Christian preachers, teachers, and theologians to campus to speak to the School community and work with students. |
A Sampling of Speakers
| Arts and Literature |
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| Elizabeth Acevedo, National Book Award-winning poet and author Richard Blanco, poet Rachael Coad, professional instructor, Washington Ballet Dan Crane, resident teaching artist, the Shakespeare Theatre Company Cassandra Good, Historian, Author Alicia Holloway, principal dancer, Dance Theatre of Harlem Dr. James Loehlin, Shakespeare scholar at the University of Texas at Austin Laura Marris, poet and translator ("The Plague") Sam Streed ’13, children’s book author and illustrator Brendan Slocumb, Nobel Teacher of Distinction, Violinist, Author |
| Business, Finance, and Entrepreneurship |
| Elizabeth Closmore, product strategist at Sprinklr software Catherine Coley ’07, CEO, Binance.US Mark Davis P’24, president and CEO of Jawor Brothers Blueberries LLC and managing partner at Commonwealth Agriculture LLC Bill Goodwin ’95, founder and president, Goodwin Executive Search Rashad Kawmy ’01, partner, Boundary Street Capital Dan Morehead P’20, CEO, Pantera Capital John Richert P’25 Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase Len Testa, president, TouringPlans Wray Barber Whitticom ’98, managing director, J.P. Morgan Jon Yim ’97, managing director, Kipps DeSanto & Co. |
| Civil Dialogue |
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Kevin Blaum, former Pennsylvania Representative (Democrat), and Manoli Loupassi, former Virginia Delegate (Republican) |
| Community and Equity |
| Azza Altiraifi, disability justice advocate Cleo Scott Brown, author and George Foote, local Alexandria attorney The Rev. Jesse Jackson GP’21, Civil rights activist and politician Shannon Foley Martinez, former violent white supremacist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, Freedom Rider, activist Marlon Peterson, founder, the Precedential Group, a social-justice consulting firm Dr. Tommie Smith, Olympic gold medalist |
| Faith |
| The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church Rabbanit Dasi Fruchter, founder, South Philadelphia Shtiebel The Rev. Canon Broderick Greer, St. John's Cathedral in Denver Imam Yahya Hendi, Muslim Chaplain, Georgetown University Rev. Dr. Esau McCaulley, Associate Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray, authors of “I’ll Push You” The Rev. Becca Stevens, author and founder of Thistle Farms David Zahl, director of Mockingbird Ministries |
| Government and Politics |
| Don Beyer, U.S. House Representative Tyler Brown ’99, former director of digital strategy, Republican National Committee James Carville P’16, Democratic campaign strategist Mary Kate Cary, former speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush Carlos Del Toro, US Secretary of the Navy Mo Elleithee, former spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee John Hillen, former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Sarah Isgur, political commentator and expert, Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics John Kasich, former Governor of Ohio Toni Karasanyi ’00, communications officer, the World Bank Group Kay James, Heritage Foundation president Bryan Lanza, former campaign official for President Donald Trump Reggie Love, former aide to President Barack Obama Kristen Edwards Marquardt ’97, cyber security expert and former CIA agent Lauren Marshall ’09, senior policy advisor to U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner Mary Matalin P’16, Republican campaign strategist Terry McAuliffe P’13, former Governor of Virginia Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland Meghan Pennington, former communications director for U.S. Senator Tom Carper Lew Robinson, Senior Executive at the NCTC/FBI/ODNI Paul Ryan P’16, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives |
| Health, Medicine, and Science |
| Dr. Matt Bellace, stand-up comedian with a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology Dr. Deb Berry P’16 ’19, Georgetown University research scientist Dr. Kathleen Boggs, a leader of NASA Mars mission Dr. Meeryo Choe and Dr. Mayumi Prins, UCLA neuroscientists Chris Herren, founder of the Herren Project for addiction recovery Dr. John Marshall ’79 P’11, chief of hematology and oncology, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital Cindy McCain, Executive Director UN World Food Programme, widow of Sen. John McCain '54 Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, author, clinical psychologist Dr. Jürgen Taylor ’81, an emergency room doctor in Charlotte, N.C., for more than 30 years Dr. W. Christopher Winter, neurologist, author, and sleep specialist |
| Law |
| The Hon. J.P. Howard, District of Columbia administrative law judge U.S. Navy Capt. Tom Leary, chief legal advisor to National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien Patricia Madrid, former New Mexico attorney general Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Laurance VanMeter ’76, Kentucky Supreme Court |
| Leadership and Service to Country and Community |
| The Rev. Captain Andrea Baker, U.S. Army chaplain Dr. Victoria Sardi-Brown, co-founder Mattie’s Mom U.S. Navy Lieutenant Shepard Chalkley ’11 Maureen Colburn, executive director, Just Tryan It U.S. Army Rangers Captain (Ret.) Matt Hurley ’08, operating officer, the Old Guard Katie Koestner, executive director, Take Back the Night Foundation Amy Liu, former President of the Brookings Institution Wes Moore, CEO, the Robin Hood Foundation Lumah Mufleh, founder, Fugees Family Henry Stoever ’84, retired U.S. Marine Corps officer; CEO of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges |
| Media and Journalism |
| James Blue ’89, head of the Smithsonian Channel John Gable ‘83, CEO, Co-founder AllSides David Gregory P’21, former NBC broadcast journalist David Hatcher ’84, ABC television producer Alex Jones ’64, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mark Salter, Author, aide to Sen. John McCain ’54 Bob Schieffer, CBS broadcast journalist Lizzie Widdicombe, New Yorker staff writer |
| Sports |
| Kelly Chandler ’12, Division 1 lacrosse at Vanderbilt University Dr. Greg Dale, director of Duke University’s Sports Psychology and Leadership Program Jennifer Pharr Davis, hiker, author, and speaker Tim Hightower ’04, retired NFL player Ashleigh Johnson, Olympic gold medalist Perris Jones ’17, former UVA football player Danielle O’Banion ’97, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Loyola University Melissa Stockwell, U.S. Army veteran and Paralympian world champion triathlete Leah Thomas, assistant athletics director for student-athlete development, Georgia Tech |
Read More About Recent Speakers
Collaborating with Empathy and Respect Homer A. Jacobs '83 McCain-Ravenel Days
In September, EHS welcomed Denise Grace Gitsham and Lara Schwartz.
Former Teammates Reunite on Stage for Civil Dialogue
During the final 2024 McCain-Ravenel Day, alumni Alix Dejean ’00 and Davis White ’99 returned to Episcopal to model civil discourse and reflect on how their shared experiences at EHS—and across political divides—shaped their commitment to integrity and public service.
A Comedic Approach to Wellness
In October, Dr. Matt Bellace returned to Episcopal to deliver a captivating and insightful speech on natural highs, emotional resilience, and mental health as the first Healthy Choices speaker of the year as the first Healthy Choices speaker of the year.
