Hagel To Teach at Georgetown

Former senator Chuck Hagel, who was often mentioned as a possibility for the Obama Cabinet, will begin teaching classes in U.S. foreign policy in the fall.

By Philip Rucker
Former senator Chuck Hagel will become a professor at Georgetown University, where he will teach courses on U.S. foreign policy, a university official confirmed.

The Nebraska Republican, who once considered a presidential bid and retired from the Senate last year, will become a distinguished professor in the practice of national governance at Georgetown's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Georgetown is planning to announce the appointment on Wednesday morning, spokeswoman Katie Martha said.

Hagel will begin working at the university immediately, planning conferences and other events on campus this spring, and will begin teaching undergraduate and graduate courses this fall, Martha said.

"I am honored to become part of this respected institution and look forward to contributing to the important efforts that Georgetown continues to make in educating our next generation of leaders," Hagel said in a statement.

A Vietnam war veteran, Hagel worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Reagan administration and held a number of jobs in the private sector before being elected to the Senate in 1996. After the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Hagel publicly disagreed with his party on former president George W. Bush's war policies. In 2007, he flirted with running for president, but ultimately decided against a campaign. Hagel did not run for reelection to the Senate in 2008.

"Senator Hagel brings great expertise on important foreign and domestic issues facing our nation," Georgetown President John J. DeGioia said in a statement. "He is a great addition to our community of distinguished scholars and I look forward to his contributions to Georgetown."