Lecture Series
Bringing lectures to the Harding campus, this program serves as an integral part of the American Studies Institute. A unique approach to citizenship education in contemporary national and international affairs, the Lecture Series offers insight into current trends in political and economical development affecting the American way of life. Speakers in the Lecture Series have included President George Bush, President Gerald Ford, Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, John Major, Lech Walesa, Dan Quayle, Lamar Alexander, Dick Cheney, Linda Chavez, Henry Kissinger, Tom Peters, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Bobby Bowden, Gene Stallings, Zig Ziglar, William Bennett, Kenneth Cooper, Fran Tarkenton, William F. Buckley Jr., Robert Bork and Benazir Bhutto.
If you need accommodations due to a disability, please contact the American Studies Office by calling (501) 279-4497 and ask for& Vanessa Valier. Please make your request at least one week prior to the scheduled presentation.
2009/2010 Speakers
Nonie Darwish, September 17, 2009 7:30 pm, Benson Auditorium
Nonie Darwish is the founder of Arabs for Israel and author of Now They Call Me Infidel:Why I renounced Jihad for America, Israel and theWar on Terror, and Cruel and Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implications of Islamic Law. Born in Cairo, she grew up in the Gaza strip where her father was a high-ranking Egyptian military officer who led the Fedayeen guerilla operations against Israel. Proud of her Arabic heritage, she brings a positive message of change to audiences across the country while speaking out against the violence and anti-Semitic indoctrination she experienced as a child. Darwish holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology from American University in Cairo. She worked as an editor and translator for the Middle East News Agency before moving from to the United States in 1978.
Cynthia Cooper, November 12, 2009, 7:30 p.m., Benson Auditorium
Former MCI vice president and chief audit executive Cynthia Cooper led the team that uncovered the WorldCom fraud in 2002 - the largest corporate fraud case in history to date. The accomplishment earned her recognition as one of Time Magazine's Persons of the Year in 2002. After helping MCI move forward and successfully emerge from bankruptcy, she left the company in July 2004 to launch her own consulting firm, The CooperGroup. With more than 20 years corporate experience, she is a consultant, internationally recognized speaker and author. Her book, Extraordinary Circumstances, was published in February 2008 and outlines her experience as a corporate executive and lessons learned at WorldCom. She travels the globe, emphasizing the importance of strong ethical leadership and has appeared on numerous programs including"America's Nightly Scoreboard" on Fox Business, "The Today Show," and "This Week With George Stephanopoulos." Co-sponsored by the College of Business Administration
Laura Ingraham, February 16, 2010, 7:30pm, Benson Auditorium
Nationally syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham hit the airwaves with her self-titled show in 2001 and can be heard on more than 325 stations coast to coast. She is also an author, columnist and television commentator. Her latest book, Power to the People, debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List and discusses traditional family values, education and American patriotism. She is a regular Fox News contributor and has filled in as guest host for Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. A graduate of Dartmouth College and University of Virginia School of Law, Ingraham worked as a speechwriter during the final two years of the Reagan Administration. In addition, she served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas before becoming a defense attorney at oneof the nation's premier law firms.
George W. Bush, April 22, 2010, 7:30 p.m., Benson Auditorium - CHECK WEBSITE FOR TICKET INFORMATION APRIL1ST
George W. Bush was elected the 43rd president of the United States in November 2000 and went on to be re-elected in 2004. Before his presidency, he served six years as governor of Texas and was the first governor in the state's history to be elected to consecutive four-year terms. During eight years as president, Bush instituted federal tax cuts, added a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, implemented free trade agreements with more than a dozen nations, launched a global HIV/AIDS initiative, and created the Faith-based and Community Initiative. In addition to many other achievements, he also appointed Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bush holds a bachelor's degree in history from Yale University and served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard before attending Harvard Business School where he earned his Master of Business Administration degree.
Past Speakers
Jose Maria Aznar
David Barton
Fred Barnes
Bob Beckel
William J. Bennett
Angela "Bay" Buchanan
Deena Burnett
Jim Burnett
Gracia Burnham
Jim Cathcart
S. Truett Cathy
Dick Cheney
General Wesley K. Clark
Dinesh D'Souza
Gerald W. Ebker
Tommy R. Franks
Vicente Fox
Sean Hannity
James Humes
Asa Hutchinson
Khalil E. Jahshan
Leland R. Kaiser
Frank Keating
Vladimir P. Lukin
Heather Whitestone McCallum
Michael Medved
Zell Miller
Sidney Moncrief
Randall Mott
Robert D. Novak
Houston Nutt
Colin Powell
Dan Quayle
Paul Craig Roberts
Jim Ryun
Don Soderquist
Kenneth W. Starr
Ben Stein
Cal Thomas
Scott Waddle
Lech Walesa
George R. Walther
J.C. Watts
Walter E. Williams
Cheri Pierson Yecke
Benazir Bhuto