HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College hosted U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on Sept. 8 during its Center for Constructive Alternatives Seminar “Issues in International Relations.” McMahon gave a speech to CCA guests, faculty, and students titled “Many Administrators; Few Leaders.”
Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn introduced McMahon.
“Linda McMahon is the 13th United States Secretary of Education, perhaps the last,” Arnn said. “She was sworn in on March the third of this year, and if you go to the education website — I invite you to do that — you will see an inspiring memo that she sent to all the employees of the Department of Education, soliciting their help in a final mission: the mission to de-bureaucratize and decentralize education.”
McMahon argued that the crisis of higher education is a crisis of leadership.
“Hillsdale College and a few other proud institutions swimming against the current tide prove that leaders can be more than figureheads,” McMahon said. “They can be guides on the path to higher learning, examples of how a college education can forge your character and transform your life, generals in the war to defend what once made American universities the envy of the world — and that’s what we have to get back to. Yet so few recognize the potential — the fragile but fertile future — placed in their charge.”
McMahon said that university leaders should prioritize students’ personal growth over comfort, value truth and free inquiry, preserve America’s civilizational inheritance, and embrace their role as public intellectuals.
“Because America is a symbol of hope and liberty to the world, our institutions must prepare students to carry that mantle, to lead with clarity, to lead with conviction, and to show the world that a truly free society can achieve all things,” McMahon said. “Our university leaders can be the change agents who make this vision a reality.”
Arnn said that a life of thought and action equipped McMahon for her current role.
“She had a lot to do with the preparations for the second Trump administration at the America First Policy Institute, and she has hit the ground running,” Arnn said. “The country is in a very dangerous state, but this is a very opportune moment in American history, and the Education Department is an example of that. So we’re very grateful for her coming today.”
McMahon also toured Hillsdale Academy, visiting classrooms and observing students in the private classical K-12 school operated by the College.
Linda E. McMahon was sworn in as the 13th United States Secretary of Education on March 3, 2025, appointed by President Donald J. Trump. Secretary McMahon pursued a career in business as the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a global company she helped grow from a regional operation into a publicly traded, multibillion-dollar enterprise. Before her appointment as Secretary of Education, McMahon served as Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from 2017 to 2019 during President Trump’s first term. Following her time at SBA, she chaired the America First Policy Institute, a think tank focused on advancing policy solutions, including education reforms centered on parental empowerment, school choice, and accountability in higher education.
For photos from McMahon’s visit to Hillsdale College, click here. For photos of her visit to Hillsdale Academy, click here. For photos of Hillsdale College, click here. For a high-resolution copy of the Hillsdale College clocktower logo, click here.