AMHERST — An initiative for members of the Amherst College community to serve the greater good in both their professional and personal endeavors is a strategic priority for Amherst College President Michael A. Elliott.

On the evening of Nov. 1, almost exactly 60 years after President John F. Kennedy mentioned the responsibility to serve the public interest during the groundbreaking of the college’s Frost Library, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey will be on campus to discuss the need for and benefits of public service.

“Democracy and the Greater Good: A Conversation with Governor Maura Healey” is the title of the event taking place at Johnson Chapel, starting at 6 p.m. A limited number of seats will be made available to the general public.

Elliott said in a statement that he looks forward to hearing Healey’s thoughts on civic involvement and the current political landscape.

“At a time when American democracy is under fire and mistrust of public institutions is high, Gov. Healey’s experience reflects her commitment to contribute to the greater societal good and demonstrates the value, and enjoyment, of serving the public,” Elliott said.

Healey’s visit comes as the college is rededicating a mission to educate students for democracy, building and promoting a culture among them in which their experiences at Amherst will prepare them for a lifetime of contributing to the greater good. This initiative seeks to build a community that makes room for both disagreement and for connection, one that practices the kind of recognition and negotiation that the everyday life of democracy requires.

On Oct. 26, 1963, Kennedy’s visit to the college addressed power, politics and public service.

“What good is a private college or university unless it’s serving a great national purpose? .... The library being constructed today, this college itself, all of this, of course, was not done merely to give this school’s graduates an advantage, an economic advantage, in the life struggle,” Kennedy said. “It does do that. But ... in return for the great opportunity which society gives the graduates of this and related schools, it seems to me incumbent upon this and other schools’ graduates to recognize their responsibility to the public interest. Privilege is here, and with privilege goes responsibility.”