Thank you for your generous gift to the Thomas S. Foley Institute Excellence Fund. As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, the country is facing its greatest challenges, from declining trust in institutions and increased political polarization, to a lack of confidence in the integrity of our elections. At the same time, there is enthusiasm among the American public for opportunities to be heard and to deliberate, which is a primary aim of the institute. Our mission is to recognize Speaker Thomas S. Foley’s extraordinary legacy of public service and his belief that democracy requires an educated and informed public. Your support helps provide the resources for the continued success and growth of the institute. Since its inception, the institute has developed a reputation for leading public affairs programs that are free and accessible to all students and to the wider community, while also engaging young people in public service.
Last year we used this fund to support a high-profile speaker series on the future of liberal democracy, featuring some of the nation’s leading scholars, social commentators, and political leaders who shared their expertise and insights with students and the wider WSU community. All our events were very well attended and sparked lively conversations. These and all our other programs are livestreamed and available to see again on our YouTube channel. Another major use of this fund this year was to produce our annual Foley Report, which highlights our programs and the students that we have supported.
With sincere appreciation, GO COUGS!