President Barack Obama will be the keynote speaker at the Syracuse University-sponsored Toner Prize award celebration in Washington, D.C. on March 28, the university announced Friday.

The Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting, which is sponsored by SU’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, was created in 2009 and first awarded in 2010 to honor the memory of late Newhouse alumna and political reporter Robin Toner, who died in 2008 at the age of 54 from complications of colon cancer.

By being the keynote speaker, Obama will follow in the footsteps of former Secretary of State and current presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who was the keynote speaker at last year’s celebration. The announcement for Obama to make the speech comes during his eighth and last year as president.

Obama is the second sitting-president to speak at an SU event. The first was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 when he gave his famous “Gulf of Tonkin” speech during the Vietnam War.

“Syracuse University is honored that President Obama will join us at the Toner Prize ceremony,” said Chancellor Kent Syverud in an SU News release. “This event recognizes the importance of quality, fact-based political journalism. Journalism at its best serves as a tool for advancing democracy. That is exactly what Robin Toner did.”

Vice President Joe Biden, an SU College of Law alumnus, presented the keynote speech the year before Clinton, making Obama the third member of his own administration to be named keynote speaker.

Biden also made an ode to his law school alma mater when he visited the SU campus in November to promote “It’s On Us,” the White House’s campaign to combat sexual assault.

Former U.S Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius delivered the keynote address the year before Biden, according to the release.

Toner had a long career in political journalism after graduating from SU in 1976. She held positions at publications such as the Charleston Daily Mail, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The New York Times. She was the first female chief political correspondent at The Times. During her 25-year role as correspondent, she covered five presidential campaigns.

The Toner Prize is awarded annually by Newhouse to political reporters who exhibit journalistic quality and standards on par with Toner. The prize includes a $5,000 cash reward.

The celebration will start at 6 p.m. at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in D.C.

Published on February 12, 2016 at 2:00 pm

Contact Alexa: atorrens@syr.edu