Samford University Cumberland School of Law hosted its annual Cordell Hull Speakers Forum on Jan. 30. The 2025 lecture featured Tracy Walder, a former CIA and FBI special agent and author of The Unexpected Spy.

 

Right out of college, Walder was recruited to join the CIA. During her time in the agency, she was present at CIA headquarters on 9/11 where she led counter-terrorism offenses alongside President Bush. She later joined the FBI. After these experiences, she wrote The Unexpected Spy, has become a regular contributor to NewsNation and runs a fascinating Instagram account (@theunexpectedspy) where she breaks down current events through the lens of her experiences.  

 

The forum, a longstanding Cumberland School of Law tradition, is named for Nobel Peace Prize recipient Cordell Hull, an 1891 Cumberland graduate. Hull served as a U.S. senator for the 1931-1937 term before stepping down upon being appointed as secretary of state by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. He served in this role for 12 years, the longest in U.S. history.

 

The goal of the forum is for speakers to engage in legal dialogue with forum attendees and encourage productive dialogue about specific issues. Over the years, the Cordell Hull Speakers Forum has hosted an impressive array of speakers, including prominent figures from the realms of politics, law, literature and advocacy. Former speakers have included Presidents Joe Biden, George Bush, Sr., and Ronald Reagan; U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas; Attorney General Janet Reno; author John Grisham; Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center; consumer advocate Ralph Nader and the ethicist Joseph Fletcher. The 2025 event once again delivered an enlightening conversation.

 

“This year’s Cordell Hull Speakers Forum encapsulated the audience as everyone sat on the edge of their seats,” said third-year law student Rivers Dorey, the forum’s 2025 co-chair. “Hearing from the only female who has served in the CIA and FBI provided a new perspective into our nation’s history on the War on Terror. Tracy’s honesty about global current events intrigued the audience and reminded us of the importance of staying open-minded in our careers.”