On the Town: Pulitzer winner Peggy Noonan speaks at OU

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The University of Oklahoma welcomed about 700 guests spread across multiple rooms in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, all who were there to hear Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Peggy Noonan speak on politics of today and yesterday.

Noonan, who once was a speechwriter for President Reagan and who has been an opinion writer for The Wall Street Journal for the last two decades, was on the OU campus in Norman as part of the Presidential Speakers Series Dinner – “An Evening of Perspective,” as organizers called it.

OU President Joe Harroz emphasized the importance of having a diverse array of speakers on OU’s campus, the importance of universities in ensuring this country has an educated citizenry and noted previous speakers in this same series.

“We have a continuing obligation to each other and to our democracy, to interact in a civic way and to learn more, to gain context, to gain understanding,” he said. “This event is an important part of that. … Our goal is to be informed, to be engaged, to participate in this democracy in an interesting way.”

Kyle Harper, who is provost emeritus, an OU professor and senior advisor to the president, introduced Noonan by noting that at the Wall Street Journal she offers “some of the sharpest analyses” and “some of the best historical perspective.”

Noonan started off by cautioning that both “triumphant Republicans” and “depressed Democrats” would do well to remember that President Trump won the 2024 election by a slim 1.5% margin. Neither major candidate got half the votes.

While Noonan praised some of President Trump’s actions in the last six weeks, she also noted there was a difference between having a bold vision and not being wild in decisions, adding some recent changes are popular and some are not, and it’s important to discern which are which.

“Be bold, but don’t be wild. Don’t push things too far,” she said. “Remember, it’s still a 50-50 country.”

It was interesting to hear her give historical and modern perspectives on America’s politics. She touched on writing speeches for Reagan and his gift for oratory, previous presidents and columns she has recently written.

“I want this new administration to succeed because I want America to succeed because I think this is an important time. But I think if America does well, it will make America happier and it will make the world happier,” she said. “The biggest thing we can forget in America is the fact that the entire world sees us as an example and as a possible inspiration and I hate to let them down.”

At the Paycom Center

The Cirque du Soleil’s “OVO” show is returning to Oklahoma City for the first time since 2017, and tickets went on sale this week. The colorful show will be at the Paycom Center from Sept. 11 to 14, with a reimagined set and costumes, new acrobatic acts, some original characters and new music featuring 53 acrobats and musicians. “OVO” means egg in Portuguese; the show features an imaginative insect world. For tickets, go to cirquedusoleil.com/OVO.

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