UNIVERSITY NEWS - FEBRUARY 2004

MEDIA CONTACT: Kristine McGrath
561-297-3022, kmcgrath@fau.edu

George McGovern To Speak At FAU
Former Congressman and Presidential Nominee Participates in FAU Presidential Symposia Lecture Series

BOCA RATON, FL (February 18, 2004) - Florida Atlantic University’s “Presidential Symposia” Lecture Series presents former Congressman George McGovern, who will be speaking on the topics of George W. Bush, the war on terror and Iraq. The lecture will be held on Thursday, February 26 at 3:45 p.m. in the Barry and Florence Friedberg Auditorium on the Boca Raton Campus, 777 Glades Road. McGovern will cover topics that exam the American presidency and national security.

During World War II, McGovern flew 35 combat missions as a B-24 bomber pilot in Europe, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University in 1946. McGovern enrolled at Northwestern University in Chicago, where he earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in American history and government.

McGovern was elected to Congress in 1956 and reelected in 1958. In 1960, President John F. Kennedy named him the first director of the Food for Peace Program and Special Assistant to the President. In this position, he oversaw the donation of millions of tons of food to developing nations.

McGovern was then elected to the Senate in 1962 and reelected in 1968 and 1974. As a member of the Senate committees on agriculture, nutrition, forestry and foreign relations, and the Joint Economic Committee, he led the way in expanding key nutrition programs.

In 1972, McGovern was selected as the Democratic Party nominee for president, the only South Dakotan so honored by any major political party.

After a 22-year run as a U.S. Congressman, McGovern began lecturing at colleges and universities around the world. He has also received various honorary degrees and distinguished awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, which was bestowed upon him by President Bill Clinton on August 9, 2000.

The “Presidential Symposia” is coordinated by Dr. Robert P. Watson, assistant professor of political science at FAU, and sponsored by the FAU Lifelong Learning Society. This is the seventh lecture in an eight-week lecture series. The series is being held every Thursday through March 4 from 3:45-5:30 p.m. The cost for the lecture series is $55 for LLS members and $75 for nonmembers. For more information, call 561-297-3171.
-FAU-
The Lifelong Learning Society, a division of Continuing Education at FAU, is dedicated to enriching the lives of mature students by offering non-credit, university level courses taught by FAU professors and distinguished guest lectures.\

Andrew LaPlant
Senior Information Specialist
Office of Communications
Florida Atlantic University
(561) 297-3022