Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page will speak to College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University students, faculty and staff on April 18 in the Pellegrene Auditorium on the SJU campus.

The event is only open to members of the CSB and SJU campus community. There is no admission charge, but those planning to attend are asked to fill out a registration form so event organizers can gather an accurate attendance estimate.

CSB and SJU students registering are also eligible to win the three Alan Page Minnesota Vikings jerseys, which will be given away that night. Page, of course, was an All-American defensive lineman at Notre Dame who went on to become an anchor of the Vikings’ famed Purple People Eaters defensive line.

He helped lead the team to four Super Bowls and was named NFL MVP in 1971. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1988.

Page completed his legal education and began practicing law while still playing in the NFL. He went on to serve as Minnesota’s Special Assistant Attorney General in the Employment Law Division from 1985-87, then as Assistant Attorney General from 1987-93.

He was elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court in November of 1992, becoming the first African-American justice in the court’s history. He served until reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2015, winning re-election in 1998, 2004 and 2010.

His remarks on April 18 will be preceded by an invitation-only student leadership dinner, scheduled for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Quad 264 at SJU. Page’s speech is scheduled to run from 7 to 8 p.m.

It’s all being organized by a committee consisting of student leaders from the CSB and SJU Senates, the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement, the SJU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Johnnie Development Institute (JDI).

Saint Joseph artist Mary Bruno – who runs her own letterpress print shop – has designed posters for the event, some of which will also be given away.

“This is an opportunity to bring someone to campus with a rich story to tell,” said SJU Senate Trustee Evan Mattson, a senior. “We’re hoping this is something that will get people excited about the endless possibilities of leadership beyond CSB+SJU."

Mattson hopes Page’s speech establishes the foundation for an annual event focusing on leadership.

“I’d love it if this could become an annual thing,” he said. “I think it’s really important for students to hear from leaders like Justice Page, who has accomplished so much in his career.”