7720B199-D5DD-406C-ABD58E8F86AA113A
4F9F2B6E-8EB6-42D2-9ACAD47C06E3F18E

Legendary tennis champion, New York Times bestselling author, and entrepreneur Venus Williams will be the next guest in Hamilton’s Sacerdote Great Names series on Thursday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m., in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. The event will be free and open to the public, but tickets will be required.

Venus Williams Legendary tennis champion, New York Times bestselling author, and entrepreneur Venus Williams

Venus Williams has made a lasting impact on and off the court with her entrepreneurship, advocacy, and fight for equality. Formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, she has won seven Grand Slam titles, five Wimbledon championships, and four Olympic gold medals. One of the most accomplished and inspiring women in the history of sports, she has been a steadfast advocate for equal pay, women’s empowerment, and social justice. Williams is also the New York Times bestselling author of Come to Win. She shares her insights in motivational speaking events for groups including Capital One, Ernst & Young, Infor, Gannett, and many others.

Heralded for her innovative business acumen, Williams is the founder of V Starr, a full-service commercial and residential design firm, as well as the plant-based protein company Happy Viking. Additionally, she serves as the Chief Brand Officer to Asutra, a wellness self-care brand that provides various natural and organic products. Williams recently served as the executive producer on the Academy Award-winning Warner Bros. biopic King Richard, which told the story of her father’s impact on her childhood and career as she and her sister, Serena, became tennis icons and changed the sport for generations to come.

Venus Williams has been honored with Variety’s “Power of Women” Award and as Glamour Magazine’s “Woman of the Year” and ESPN’s “WTA Player of the Year.” She earned the CARE Impact Award for Gender Equality and has been named one of Forbes’ “Celebrity 100.” Most recently, Williams has received the inaugural US Open Billie Jean King Champion of Equality Award, acknowledging her continued dedication to promoting equality and leveling the playing field for athletes.

Great Names

The Sacerdote Series is named in recognition of a significant gift from the family of Alex Sacerdote, a 1994 Hamilton graduate. Other speakers in the series have included Tina Fey, Aretha Franklin, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Derek Jeter, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Jon Stewart, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Susan Rice, F.W. deKlerk, and David Cameron.

Venus Williams

Legendary tennis champion

 

Tina Fey

Emmy award-winning writer, actress, and producer

 

Condoleezza Rice and Susan Rice

Former national security advisors

 

Neil deGrasse Tyson

American astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium

 

David Cameron

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2010-16)

 

Derek Jeter

Former New York Yankees captain and five-time World Series champion

 

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Former Secretary of State

 

Condoleezza Rice

Former Secretary of State

 

Jon Stewart

Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Comedy Central comedian

 

Aretha Franklin

Recording Artist and Multiple Grammy Award Winner

 

Al Gore

45th Vice President of the United States

 

Tom Brokaw

Broadcast Journalist, Anchor and Managing Editor of NBC Nightly News

 

Bill Clinton

42nd President of the United States

 

Madeleine Albright

Secretary of State

 

Jimmy Carter

39th President of the United States

 

Desmond Tutu

Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa

 

Margaret Thatcher

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

 

B.B. King

Blues Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter

 

F.W. de Klerk

President of South Africa

 

Elie Wiesel

Holocaust Survivor, Author and Peace Advocate

 

James Carville & Mary Matalin

Senior Political Advisor to President Bill Clinton; Deputy Campaign Manager for President George Bush

 

Colin Powell

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and 65th Secretary of State of the United States

 

Related News

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey Great Names Series Appearance Postponed

The planned Great Names series appearance of actor and philanthropist Matthew McConaughey at Hamilton College originally scheduled for Thursday, April 18, has been postponed due to a conflict with filming for a new McConaughey movie. Organizers are working to reschedule his visit for a date in the fall. A new Great Names guest for April 18 will be announced soon.

Tina Fey - Great Names

Tina Fey Charms Classes and Sold-Out Field House

As part of the Sacerdote Great Names series at Hamilton College, students had the opportunity to have a small group question-and-answer with Tina Fey. Fey, the executive producer, head writer, and star of NBC’s Emmy Award-winning comedy “30 Rock,” visited Hamilton.

Help us provide an accessible education, offer innovative resources and programs, and foster intellectual exploration.

Site Search