Senator John Hickenlooper (1974, 1980, Massachusetts, 1910) didn’t set his sights on a political career when he graduated from Wesleyan University a half-century ago. He wanted to be a geologist, but when that didn’t work out, he found success as an entrepreneur and brewery owner in Denver at the height of the craft beer boom. When he ran for mayor of Denver at age 49, Hickenlooper didn’t expect national politics to play such a large role in his second life. But after two terms as mayor, he went on to become governor of Colorado and now represents the Centennial State as a U.S. senator.
“A Wesleyan education teaches you that everyone has value,” Hickenlooper says. “It’s great training for anyone who wants to go into politics. So much of politics is about blending different networks and making sure people get along, and that’s what the mayor does every day: bringing people together to solve problems and making sure everyone feels heard and valued.”
Hickenlooper spoke with Chancellor Michael S. Roth (Class of 1978) in the Goldsmith Family Theatre as part of a WE Seminar titled “Democracy 2024” during the 2024 Alumni + Graduation Weekend on May 25. The theatre was packed with many of Hickenlooper’s old classmates as the Class of 1974 returned to campus for their 50th reunion.
In the months leading up to the crucial presidential election, Wesleyan’s Democracy 2024 initiative is working to combat what Ross called a “crisis of trust” in today’s world and the growing skepticism many young people have about America’s democratic institutions. D2024 sponsors events and speakers that encourage civil dialogue and liberal learning in the off-campus world, providing opportunities for students to engage in the public sphere. For example, the Jewett Community Partnership Center’s Political Engagement Fund provides small grants to support students who want to get involved in campaigns and civic activities across the country.
“We want students to spend the next six months playing a role at the level they want to, what they want to do, in the party they want to work for,” Ross said, “but getting them used to compromise, dialogue, listening, and being part of the political system, not being a critic on the outside of it.”
Hickenlooper spoke about some of the structural problems plaguing modern democracy, from out-of-control districting to industry lobbyists. But despite the mainstream media’s focus on the loudest and most extreme politicians from both parties, Hickenlooper believes America is actually more moderate than it appears. The change he seeks to bring about in Washington, DC, is slow but necessary, and progress will be made one conversation at a time.
“Giving people a sense that they can make a difference, maybe not on the scale of a history textbook, but they can make a difference and [it’s] It’s really important to the lives of people who are receiving medical care in the area and people who are looking for housing in the area.”
The senator concluded her speech by reading “To Be of Useful” by American progressive activist and poet Marge Piercy.
“It’s one thing to learn, to change and better yourself,” Hickenlooper said, summarizing the poem’s main theme. “It’s even more important to change the world around us and make it better for others. We must remind our children that their spirit and their optimism and their determination to rise to the ridiculous challenges they now face are also opportunities.”
