Elder Statesmen Dole, McGovern to Speak at Alma College this Fall
Senior statesmen and former presidential candidates Bob Dole and George McGovern have accepted invitations to discuss leadership and civility at the inaugural Center for Responsible Leadership speaker’s forum this fall at Alma College.
The longtime members of Congress will share the stage at 8 p.m. Sept. 27, 2006, in Cappaert Gymnasium in the Hogan Physical Education Center on the Alma campus. Admission is free.
“We are tremendously pleased that these great leaders, whose legacies include lifetime commitments to ethical purpose, responsible stewardship and civility in political discourse, will share their views on politics and leadership with our students,” said Alma President Saundra Tracy. “Their presentation will support the goals of our Center for Responsible Leadership — to prepare leaders who are both responsible to the changing world around them and responsible for their own actions and organizations,” she said.
Dole and McGovern, prominent members of their opposing parties, are active in numerous endeavors. In February, they shared their views on “the state of public debate” during a presentation sponsored by the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies. A former Senate Majority Leader and war hero, Dole was the Republican Presidential nominee in 1996 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997 as a tribute to his character and contributions to the nation.
As chairman of the National World War II Memorial, author of two best-selling books on political humor, a frequent guest on late night talk shows, and renowned political commentator, Dole is part of the American landscape. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Doles joined forces with former rival President Bill Clinton to serve as co-chair of the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, assisting the educational needs of the families of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93.
In January 2003, he was appointed Honorary Co-Chair of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, part of President Bush’s USA Freedom Corps. He also is board chair of The Caring Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes the values of caring, integrity and public service.
For the past 40 years, McGovern has been a leading advocate for liberal causes. A two-term member of the House of Representatives and a U.S. Senator for 18 years, McGovern was the 1972 Democratic Presidential nominee. His later bid for the White House in 1984 won him the respect of Democrats and Republicans alike for the class and reason he brought to his campaign.
In 2004, McGovern was honored for a lifetime of national service by the association of former congressmen. A foreign policy scholar and long-time champion of the American farmer, McGovern was named by President Kennedy as the first director for the Food for Peace Program in 1960. He was one of the first in Congress to openly oppose American participation in the Vietnam War.
He is the author of several books, including The Essential America: Our Founders and The Liberal Tradition. Like Dole, he holds the nation’s highest honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also was admitted to the French Legion of Honor by the French government for his service in World War II.
The Center for Responsible Leadership encompasses a large network of leadership-development opportunities for all Alma students, regardless of academic major or degree. The speaker series will bring prominent leaders to campus for discussions on related topics.
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Media contact: Mike Silverthorn, (989) 463-7327 or silverthorn@alma.edu
Posted: Wed, March 8th, 2006 at 2:19PM
