Membership in the SMU Tower Center Forum allows you to be on the forefront of important issues facing the world, with invitations to compelling conferences, lectures and other events with the leading voices shaping the world today.
The John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies is the leading center for public affairs in the Metroplex. Created to commemorate the life of the late U.S. Senator, the Center seeks to bridge the gap between the world of ideas, scholarship and teaching, and the practice of politics. The primary mission of the Tower Center is to promote the study of politics and international affairs and to stimulate an interest in public service among undergraduates. The Tower Center is a place where all parties and views are heard in a marketplace of ideas, and the Center pursues its mission in a nonpartisan manner.
The Tower Center fosters student and faculty research, and sponsors conferences, lectures and symposia on important issues in American politics, foreign affairs, defense and trade. With support from Forum members, students have opportunities to intern at the State Department, congressional offices, international agencies and businesses; to participate in prestigious conferences; to study abroad; and to develop research projects with distinguished professors. With your support, SMU students will continue to learn about, and one day influence, the world in which they live.
When you join the SMU Tower Center Forum, you and a guest will receive:
- The opportunity to meet and engage with scholars, policy makers, political leaders, and major figures in international affairs
- Invitations to over 20 Tower Center events that include conferences, symposia, seminars and lectures with leaders, practitioners, and experts in their fields
- Access to today’s power brokers, policy makers and analysts in off-the-record briefings and private events.
Recent Tower Center Events
- The biennial Medal of Freedom. Past recipients include George W. and Laura Bush, Tony Blair, George H. W. Bush, Tommy Franks, John McCain, Colin Powell and Margaret Thatcher.
- Symposia and conferences on topics including national security and defense, the future of U.S.-Mexican relations, and the tri-lateral relations between U.S., China, and Japan.
- Speakers such as Tony Garza, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Doug Holtz-Eakin, and Thomas Shieffer.
- Private briefings from leaders such as Brent Scowcroft, Jim Steinberg, Andy Card, Stephen Hadley and others.
Your tax-deductible membership allows us to bring these opportunities to the SMU campus and supports teaching and research in areas that are critical in shaping future U.S. policies and international affairs.
Click here to join the SMU Tower Center Forum.