US Assembly: King Lecture: Melody Barnes

The Drs. Donald West and Mary Elizabeth King Lecture in History and Political Science was established in 2015 through the generosity of Drs. Donald West King II and Mary Elizabeth King. This annual Upper School assembly is devoted to a discussion on timely and urgent topics in history or political science.

This year’s speaker, Melody Barnes, is co-director for Policy and Public Affairs for the Democracy Initiative at the University of Virginia. She is a Professor of Practice at the Miller Center for Public Affairs and Distinguished Fellow at the School of Law.

From 2009 until January 2012, Melody was Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. She also served as chief counsel to Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Melody earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she graduated with honors in history and her J.D. from the University of Michigan. She serves on several corporate, non-profit and foundation boards.