JOE WIEGAND, C'87

Mr. Joe Wiegand, C’87, Theodore Roosevelt reprisor, will be the Babson Center’s 2023 Humphreys Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Spring semester. As an actor, entrepreneur, historian, and expert in political and public policy, Mr. Wiegand is able to weave stories from Roosevelt’s life and make them relevant to current events in business and government.

 

While on campus, he will deliver a Fireside Chat, “Lessons in Leadership,” at 7 p.m., Monday, February 20, in Convocation Hall. Mr. Wiegand will also meet with students and faculty to share his journey and TR’s insights on ethics and good citizenship. This event is co-sponsored by the Departments of Theatre and History.

 

For over 20 years, Joe Wiegand has portrayed Theodore Roosevelt (TR) and inspired audiences from school rooms to the White House with anecdotes from TR’s fascinating life. He lives in Medora, North Dakota, and works for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation as the assistant to the president and Goodwill Ambassador. Joe began his work in entertainment in 2002 with an entrepreneurial spirit, founding Wiegand’s Victory Enterprises, Inc. In 2008, he launched his full-time TR acting career, barnstorming all 50 states for Teddy Roosevelt’s 150^th birthday. He has been featured in an IMAX film, “National Park Adventures,” and several documentaries on the History Channel. Always the entrepreneur, Joe is working on a podcast, “Teddy Talks,” and a writing project, titled “Like Father, Like Son . . . Not Necessarily!”

 

At an early age, Wiegand began volunteering in political campaigns and continued his involvement with politics after graduating from Sewanee. He worked on both national and state level campaigns, as a public policy analyst, and as a local government commissioner in Illinois.

 

Joe was a political science major and an active leader on campus. He was a speaker of the student assembly, contributor to The Sewanee Purple, member of the varsity cross country team, and served in several honor societies. A high achiever, Joe was named by Time Magazine as one of America’s top 100 college students, was a Truman Scholar and a Watson Fellow, and completed two TONYA public affairs internships. Most importantly, Wiegand said that his time at Sewanee “nurtured his love for reading, writing, and debating and deepened his love for humanity.”

 

The Humphreys Entrepreneur-in-Residence program is made possible by a gift from Debra and David Humphreys, C ’79. 

All are welcome to attend.