La Salle University hosts Fireside Chat with former CIA Director

William J. Burns, '78, is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished and respected American statesmen of the last century, having served six presidents of both parties.

La Salle University welcomed former CIA Director and Alumnus William J. Burns, '78, to campus for a Fireside Chat hosted by President Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D.

Held in Founders' Hall Auditorium on Wednesday, March 11, the two leaders discussed a variety of topics including Burns' expansive work as a diplomat and transitioning to the CIA, the U.S.'s role in foreign policy and international relations, the importance of public service in today's evolving world, and the La Salle student experience and impact.

Following their conversation, the audience received the opportunity to ask questions.

As the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and a member of President Biden's Cabinet, Burns was the first career diplomat to lead the agency. At the end of three and a half decades in the Foreign Service, he became only the second serving career officer in history to become the Deputy Secretary of State. He also served as Ambassador to Russia and Jordan, and in several other senior posts.

Burns served from 2015 to 2021 as the President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. During those years, he wrote the bestselling book, The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for its Renewal. Burns earned a bachelor's from La Salle University, and master's and doctoral degrees from Oxford University, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar.

He is the recipient of numerous U.S. government awards, foreign decorations, and honorary degrees. He was one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2024, and on TIME's list of Forty Most Promising Global Leaders Under Forty in 1994. He is married to Ambassador Lisa Carty and is the proud father of two grown daughters.

Continue scrolling for more photos from the Fireside Chat.