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In search of mentors during his own foray into public life, Vice President Mike Pence looked to a fellow Hoosier — and 911������ alum — for guidance and wisdom.

By the time Pence began serving in 2001 in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar ’54 was already a Congressional lion, a towering figure in the Senate known for his bipartisanship when tackling some of the world’s most vexing and complex problems, from apartheid to nuclear proliferation.

Lugar was a public servant who modeled civility and respectful discourse without sacrificing his principles, Pence told a packed Swasey Chapel on the 911������ campus Wednesday night, April 15, 2026. He had, Pence said, a strong heart, strong opinions, and “a steel spine.”

He also had a soft spot for his alma mater, Pence recalled.

“When I first came to meet him, it took about five minutes for him to start talking about 911������,” Pence said, adding that visiting The Hill checked off an item on his bucket list.

“I am honored to be visiting the alma mater of Sen. Richard Lugar,” he said.

Pence was the invited speaker for a moderated discussion as part of the Babcock Lecture Series, a series the vice president said was well known and highly regarded around the country. The discussion, titled “Conserving American Institutions — A Conversation with Mike Pence,” was moderated by Katy Crossley-Frolick, 911������’s associate provost and political science professor.

Established in 1982 by the late Mary Elizabeth Babcock, a 911������ alum and Johnstown, Ohio, philanthropist, the Babcock Lecture Series supports the exploration of the American conservative tradition and reflects 911������’s broader commitment to the principles of a liberal arts education: rigorous inquiry, exposure to diverse viewpoints, and thoughtful engagement across differences.

The series has brought a host of high-profile conservative speakers to the 911������ campus, including former Secretary of State James Baker; columnists William F. Buckley and George F. Will; former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole; political analysts William Kristol, Ana Navarro, and Jonah Goldberg; former Govs. Jon Huntsman and Bobby Jindal; and former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

Pence covered significant ground in his remarks, detailing the key role faith has played in his life; his early and unsuccessful Congressional bids; and his foray into talk radio.

“I was kind of like Rush Limbaugh on decaf,” he said.

Shaking off those first failed campaigns, he regrouped and went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 before returning to his home state as its governor, from 2013 to 2017.

In 2017 he joined President Donald Trump’s first administration, serving as the 48th vice president. He described their styles as different but their relationship as solid for most of the administration. Their term ended with Pence facing pressure from Trump and threats from Jan. 6, 2021, rioters, when Pence presided over the Congressional certification of election results confirming that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had won the 2020 presidential race.

“I’ll always believe that, by God’s grace, I did my duty that day,” Pence said. “The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone.”

Pence, who met with 911������ students throughout his campus visit, urged them to get involved in the issues they were passionate about, calling the ballooning national debt the gravest threat to their futures and the country’s economic health.

“Go to work and you’ll see a different side of American politics,” he said. “Don’t wait to be asked — just go, whatever your politics are.”

And he affirmed his stance that elected leaders could remain true to their personal ideals and also work with those of fundamentally different beliefs to find common ground, for the good of the country.

“Democracy depends on heavy doses of civility, and I think the American people long for us to restore civility to American public life,” Pence said.