Lin-Manuel Miranda | Courtesy photo
Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose credits include award-winning composer, lyricist, performer, and star of the Broadway show Hamilton, will present at this year’s Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Visiting Lecture 5 p.m. February 12 in Kamine Gymnasium inside Allan P. Kirby Sports Center.
Miranda blended history and art seamlessly in his Tony-award winning musical Hamilton, which has become a global phenomenon and featured the Marquis de Lafayette as a significant character, originally played by Daveed Diggs. As Lafayette College marks its Bicentennial in 2026, the themes of human triumph and creativity woven throughout Miranda’s artistic pursuits echo the story of our founding and inspire the future as we approach our third century.
The discussion with President Nicole Hurd, titled “Opportunity and Art: A Conversation with Lin-Manuel Miranda,” will be a ticketed event, with admission reserved for current students, faculty, and staff of the College. Tickets can be requested using this form and will be provided electronically on your Pard Card. If demand exceeds supply, distribution will be done via randomized lottery. A livestream broadcast of the event will also be available for the College community, alumni, and friends, with a recording posted to the College’s website. Details regarding livestream broadcast access will be released next month.
“Lin-Manuel Miranda’s passion, creativity, and commitment to inclusivity has forever changed not only musical theater, but the way we look at art,” says President Hurd. “His work brought the Marquis to life in a new century, and his achievements on and off the stage have exemplified the kind of lasting impact that dedication, drive, and a powerful voice can bring to the world. Every day, Lafayette College encourages students to foster that potential, and it is an honor to welcome Lin-Manuel into our community.”
Miranda’s journey and the breadth of his creative expertise exemplify the goals of the Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Visiting Lecture Series, which helps Lafayette students engage with figures of extraordinary accomplishment and inspires them to reach for new heights in the world beyond. On and off stage, as well as in music, books, and social activism, Miranda has been committed to stepping outside the box and exploring new voices in storytelling, breaking the mold and showing what is possible when creativity and passion drive the future. As part of the lecture experience, a group of students will be attending the New York show this spring semester with details to be announced in the next few weeks.
The 2026 Jones Visiting Lecture is sponsored by The Jones Fund.
About Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda is an award-winning songwriter, actor, director, and producer whose work has reshaped contemporary theater and film. He is the creator and original star of Hamilton and In the Heights. Hamilton earned the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 11 Tony Awards, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, while its filmed stage production became an Emmy-winning cultural phenomenon following its release on Disney+. In the Heights received four Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, and was adapted into a feature film released by Warner Bros. in 2021.
Beyond Broadway, Miranda has become one of the most influential musical storytellers in modern film and television. His work includes Academy Award-nominated and Grammy-winning songs for Disney films such as Moana and Encanto, the latter of which topped the Billboard 200 and produced the chart-topping hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” He made his directorial debut with tick, tick… BOOM!, which earned Academy Award nominations and was named one of the American Film Institute’s Top Ten Films of the Year. His collaborations span projects for Disney, Netflix, Lucasfilm, and Broadway, reflecting a career defined by range and creative ambition.
Miranda is the founder of 5000 Broadway Productions, a company dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and expanding access to the arts. A MacArthur Fellow and Kennedy Center Honoree, he is also a New York Times bestselling author and an active advocate for arts education, disaster relief, and equity initiatives, particularly in Puerto Rico. Through music, storytelling, and leadership, Miranda continues to shape how culture, history, and identity are brought to the stage and screen.
About the Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Visiting Lecture Series
The Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Visiting Lecture Series was founded by Trustee Emeritus Thomas Roy Jones in 1973 to provide Lafayette College students with the opportunity to hear presentations and interact each year with individuals of exemplary accomplishment in the academic world or in public life. Nominations are submitted by members of the faculty to the Presidential Advisory Committee on Commencement each spring. The committee reviews the nominations and selects the top five or six choices.