1993: Hillary Clinton

1993 Hillary Clinton Attended the PA Health Care Conference in the CUB

Hillary Clinton was the 1st First Lady to take on substantial public policy duties and the 1st First Lady to visit Penn State Harrisburg, which she did on her first out-of-town trip as the nation’s health reform ambassador.

Clinton, as well as the vice-president’s wife Tipper Gore, attended Senator Wofford’s PA Health Care Conference in the CUB at Penn State Harrisburg on February 11, 1993. Prior to the conference, Clinton attended a luncheon and brainstorming session with Penn State Harrisburg faculty and staff and 10 students.

The event generated a lot of media attention – there were more than 100 reporters on campus for the conference, which was nearly five times the number of local attendees. A student reporter noted that most Penn State Harrisburg students didn’t even know Clinton had visited campus. Those who did know about the visit and attended the luncheon were disappointed by the lack of opportunity to speak directly with Clinton about health care reform.

During the conference, Clinton noted that she felt a special connection to the Penn State community because both her father and brother are Penn State alums.

Leave a Reply