Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau to speak on 2016 election at Elmhurst College

As chief speechwriter and senior aide to President Barack Obama during the 2008 and 2012 elections, Jon Favreau was at the center of the storm for two successful presidential campaigns.

Drawing on his unique perspective and ability to "get behind the words we speak," Favreau will present "Tweets, Speeches and Storytelling: Messages from the 2016 Election" at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 9, in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel at Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst.

As part of the college's Rudolf G. Schade Lecture Series, Favreau's talk will explore the messages and moments that had the biggest impact on the 2016 presidential election, with insights into Donald Trump's rise, Hillary Clinton's challenges, the effects of the media, and the national mood following one of the most unusual races in American history.

Favreau began writing with Obama in 2005 when Obama started his first term as a U.S. senator from Illinois, and had a hand in crafting nearly every major speech the president delivered over his eight years in office. Favreau's passion for writing and public service first developed at the College of the Holy Cross, where he graduated with degrees in political science and sociology in 2003.

The co-founder of Fenway Strategies, Favreau has consulted and written speeches for celebrities, Fortune 500 CEOs and nonprofit leaders, and has been featured in TIME magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." He also is a columnist for The Daily Beast and taught a seminar as a visiting fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.

Admission is $10 for the general public and free for Elmhurst College students, faculty, staff and alumni. Tickets are available at elmhurst.edu/tix. For information, call (630) 617-5186.