A Conversation About Educational Opportunity with Justice and Former NFL Player Alan Page
The Rosenfield Program in partnership with the Office of the President and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is excited to announce a special event featuring Justice Alan Page, the first African American justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and celebrated former NFL player. The event, scheduled for Friday, January 26, at 6 p.m., will take place at JRC 101 on the Grinnell College campus.
Justice Alan Page will be engaging in a thought-provoking conversation with Jani Springer, Grinnell College’s Assistant Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Student Success. The focal point of their discussion will be on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the significance of educational opportunity, drawing on Justice Page's distinguished career and experiences.
Before ascending to the bench, Justice Alan Page made a mark in professional football as a standout NFL player for the Minnesota Vikings. His unique journey from the football field to the courtroom adds depth to the conversation about the intersections of sports, law, and educational access.
The event, organized by the Rosenfield Program, promises an insightful evening filled with meaningful dialogue. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a buffet dinner, provided as part of the event. Doors will open at 5:30p.m., and the conversation with Justice Alan Page and Jani Springer is set to begin at 6 p.m.
About Justice Alan Page
Alan C. Page was born August 7, 1945, in Canton, Ohio. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, and received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967 and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978.
After graduating from law school, Alan Page worked as an attorney for a law firm in Minneapolis, then served seven years as an attorney in the office of the Minnesota Attorney General.
He sought election to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1992 and won, becoming the first African American on the court and one of the few associate justices ever to join the court initially through election, rather than appointment by the governor. When Justice Page was reelected in 1998, he became the biggest vote-getter in Minnesota history. He was reelected in 2004 and 2010 and served until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2015. In 2018, Alan Page was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Law was Alan Page’s second career; he was first known for his skills in football both in college and in the NFL. At Notre Dame, Alan Page led the school’s storied football program to the 1966 national championship, and in 1993 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Alan Page was a first-round draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings in 1967 and he played for the Vikings until 1978. The last three years of his football career were with the Chicago Bears, 1978–1981. During his career, Alan Page played in 218 consecutive games, earning All-Pro honors six times, and was voted to nine consecutive Pro Bowls. In 1971 he was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, becoming only the second defensive player in history to be named MVP. In 1988 Alan Page was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Also in 1988, Justice Page and his wife Diane founded the Page Education Foundation, which assists Minnesota students of color in their pursuit of post-secondary education. To date, the foundation has awarded $15 million in grants to 7,000 students.
Justice Page and his daughter, Kamie Page, have written three children’s picture books, Grandpa Alan’s Sugar Shack (2017), The Invisible You (2014) and Alan and His Perfectly Pointy Impossibly Perpendicular Pinky (2013).
WHEN: Friday, January 26. Doors open at 5:30p.m.
WHERE: Joe Rosenfield Center, Room 101 - 1115 8th Ave. Grinnell, IA 50112
TICKETS: This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.
DETAILS: The college welcomes the participation of people with disabilities. Information about parking and accessibility is available on the college's website: www.grinnell.edu. Accommodation requests may be made to Conference Operations at 641-269-3235 or calendar@grinnell.edu.
Minors under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult. The college also welcomes the presence of minors at all age-appropriate public events and for informal visits, with the understanding that a parent, legal guardian, or other responsible adult assumes full responsibility for their child's safety and behavior during such visits or events. In these cases, the college expects that an adult responsible for the visiting child takes measures to ensure the child's safety and sees that the child complies with directions of college personnel. Grinnell College is not responsible for supervision of minors on campus.