John Greim / LightRocket via Getty Images
At Gettysburg College, David Rubenstein Reflects on the Declaration of Independence at 250
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Asia Tabb
John Greim / LightRocket via Getty Images
AIRED; February 9, 2026
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A standing-room-only crowd filled the room at Gettysburg College as businessman, philanthropist, and historian David Rubenstein took the stage for this year’s Blavatt Lecture, an annual event hosted by the Eisenhower Institute that brings in speakers with distinctive perspectives on American democracy.
For Tracie Potts, executive director of the Eisenhower Institute, the night stood out long after the final applause. “This is a lecture that we do every year. It focuses on people who have unique perspectives on the American political system,” Potts said. “This time we invited a businessman, and you might wonder, well, what does that have to do with politics?”
Potts explained that Rubenstein’s value comes from standing slightly outside the traditional political arena. “Sometimes I think it’s really helpful to have not someone who’s sort of in the game,” she said, “but someone who has been involved, but in his case is, as he would probably describe it, a nonpartisan bystander and admirer of American politics and American history.”
Rubenstein, the co-founder of the Carlyle Group and owner of the Baltimore Orioles, is also known for his deep investment in American history. “This is a guy who’s done a little bit of everything,” Potts said. “He has this multi-billion-dollar business that he runs. He’s an interviewer like you and me. He’s an author, he’s an historian. He’s a guy who goes and buys up important documents. Who wouldn’t want to sit down and talk to him?”
Still, even experienced event planners feel a moment of anxiety before a major lecture begins. “The thing in the pit of your stomach is, are people going to show up?” Potts said. “And then when they show up, are they going to be excited and energized?” When she peeked out from behind the curtain, her concerns vanished. “I saw standing room only, which made me really happy.”
The crowd included students lined along the walls, community members, and even members of Gettysburg College’s baseball and basketball teams. “There was energy in the room,” Potts said. “People were like, what is this guy gonna say? What’s he gonna talk about?”
Rubenstein immediately put the audience at ease. After a formal introduction, Potts recalled, “the first thing he says is, ‘Hey, everybody. I need you to lower your expectations.’ Which I think lightened the mood for the beginning of what turned out to be a really interesting lecture and conversation.”
The lecture centered on the Declaration of Independence; a document Rubenstein plans to discuss widely as part of the nation’s lead-up to America 250 in 2026. “He did about a 30-minute lecture. Absolutely no notes,” Potts said. “The guy just walks up to the podium and he starts talking about, in a very detailed manner, all of these interesting backstories about how the Declaration of Independence came to be. Names and dates and backstories—he’s like a walking encyclopedia.”
Potts said the timing made the lecture especially powerful. “Against the backdrop of America 250, and in a college environment where students and others are there to learn, I think it was really fascinating,” she said. Rubenstein walked the audience through why July 4 is celebrated instead of July 2, who was in the room during pivotal moments, and how the founding unfolded in real time. “It’s like, oh—that’s how we came to be,” Potts said.
During a one-on-one conversation after the lecture, Potts asked Rubenstein why he collects historical documents like rare copies of the Magna Carta and the 13th Amendment. “He said he feels that it’s really important for Americans, and for people living in this country, to understand what we’re founded on,” she said. “Why are we here? What was the plan? What was the vision? And he feels it’s really important for people to be able to see these things and get their hands on them.”
Potts believes this moment in history makes those questions especially urgent. “We live in a country that is at a crossroads,” she said. “There’s a lot of polarization. People are very divided—not only with politics, but in our social lives and in our economy.” As Americans reflect on the nation’s founding, she said, the bigger question is what comes next. “Have we achieved that goal, and can we do better? What’s the next step?”
Rubenstein also challenged the audience to reconsider one of the Declaration’s most famous lines. “He talked about ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,’” Potts said. “And he pointed out they weren’t talking about everybody back then. They weren’t talking about people like you. They weren’t talking about people like me.” The lecture’s title, she noted, was “The Declaration at 250,” emphasizing what those words mean now, not just in 1776. “It’s important for us as a society to define that as we go forward,” Potts said.
For students in attendance, Potts hopes the night offered both historical grounding and personal inspiration. “You cannot move forward effectively if you don’t know where you came from,” she said. “You need to have that longevity of vision.” She also hopes Rubenstein’s story resonated on a more individual level. “I hope they could see that a kid who grew up with middle-class, working-class parents in Baltimore can become someone really influential and have a really big impact,” Potts said. “You don’t have to be born into a prestigious or wealthy family.”
As Gettysburg College continues its role in conversations about democracy and leadership, Potts sees the Blavatt Lecture as a reminder that history is not static. “As we move forward,” she said, “we always need to think about where we came from—but also where we’re going now.”
