Distinguished U.S. Navy admiral, Lowell native to keynote Parker Lecture Series event

LOWELL — The fall schedule of the Moses Greeley Parker Lecture Series begins Wednesday evening with Lowell native and retired U.S. Navy Adm. Michael Gilday serving as the keynote speaker and roundtable participant at UMass Lowell’s Comley-Lane Theatre at 6:30 p.m.

Gilday served as the 32nd chief of naval operations from 2019 to 2023. He has also served as naval aide to the president, and is a recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, four Defense Superior Service Medals, three Legion of Merit awards, a Bronze Star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon.

“We are thrilled that Admiral Gilday has graciously accepted our invitation to be a part of the Parker Lecture Series,” said Parker Lectures Chair John Carson. “With his background as a native Lowellian and a distinguished career serving our country, he is exactly the type of speaker that Moses Greeley Parker had in mind when he started the trust in 1917. We are pleased to offer our audience the opportunity to interact with Admiral Gilday in a roundtable discussion.”

Gilday will participate in a panel discussion with Carson, City Manager Tom Golden and Mayor Daniel Rourke. After the panel, Gilday will deliver his keynote address, during which he said he will talk about the U.S. military by drawing on his experience in the Navy.

“I’ll talk about why I think it’s important for people to understand what we do, and why we do it,” Gilday said in a phone call Friday afternoon.

Gilday grew up in Lowell’s Centralville neighborhood as the oldest of five children, and said the city provided all five siblings “a fantastic foundation for the rest of our lives.”

“We all benefited from growing up in Lowell,” said Gilday.

Gilday now lives in Alexandria, Virginia after retiring last year, but he said he comes back to visit the Mill City once or twice a year as his mother and two of his siblings live in the region.

Following the keynote address, Gilday will engage in a Q&A session with the audience. Before the event on Wednesday, Gilday will also be bringing a younger sailor with him to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell and Lowell High School. He said it is “one thing for an old guy to talk about his experience in the Navy,” but he also wants the youth to be able to see and talk to someone about their experience much earlier in their naval career.

“We are incredibly honored to welcome Admiral Gilday back to Lowell,” Golden said in a statement Friday. “His extraordinary service to our nation and his deep connection to our city make this a truly special event. It’s not every day we get to hear firsthand from a leader of such stature, and I know our community will benefit greatly from his insights.”

Rourke said in a statement that Gilday “embodies the spirit of service that defines the city.”

“He has made Lowell proud on the world stage, and we look forward to hosting him for this event,” said Rourke.

UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen said Gilday “has had a profound impact serving the U.S. Navy, our nation’s top leaders and the people of our country.”

“I look forward to hearing his views on leadership and the lessons he learned during an impressive and distinguished career in uniform,” Chen said in a statement.

Admission to the lecture is free for all, with a seating capacity of about 400.