The Alumni and Development Office hosts an annual speaker series that is open to the public and offered free of charge. For more information, contact the Alumni Office.
The Thomas W. Ewing Lecture
The Thomas W. Ewing Lectureship was created in recognition of the many years of public service of Congressman Thomas W. Ewing '57 by Millikin University and Ewing’s colleagues.
2012 Speaker:
For the 2012 Thomas W. Ewing Lectureship, Millikin brought two former congressmen, a Democrat and a Republican, to speak on the implications of the 2012 presidential election on Oct. 23, in Richards Treat University Center. The appearances of Jack Buechner (R-Mo.) and William Robert Roy (D-Kansas) were made possible through the Congress to Campus program, a program designed to connect former members of Congress with college students.
The program made its debut at Millikin in 2008 during the previous presidential election. Fueled by a growing concern about young adults’ lack of interest in government and voting, the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress created the program to bring students into contact with former congressmen who can share their insights and experiences about working for the U.S. government. Over the course of two days, the former congressmen conducted lectures and met with students and faculty, delivering a message about the importance of bipartisan cooperation and encouraging students to become involved in public service.
2011 Speaker:
David Frum was the speaker for the 2011 Thomas W. Ewing Lectureship held Oct. 18, in Westminster Presbyterian Church. He offered detailed insights into exactly how Washington is changing - and what these changes will mean for us all - when he spoke on "Real Problems, Real Solutions: Transformative Ideas for Today's Political Landscape."
Frum is former special assistant to President George W. Bush and former senior foreign policy adviser to Rudy Giuliani. He has authored six books and has been a guest on "The Colbert Report," "The Daily Show," "Real Time with Bill Maher" and "Larry King Live."
Read a transcript of the lecture here.
The James W. Moore Lecture
The James W. Moore Lecture Series was established in 1991 to honor the late James W. Moore of Decatur, Ill., by providing speakers who represent innovative or progressive political or artistic views.
2013 Speaker:
Mark London, attorney, author and producer, presented his 60-minute documentary, "Shark Loves the Amazon" as the 2013 James W. Moore Lecture on March 4, in Kirkland Fine Arts Center.
London, who has also coauthored two books about the Amazon, developed the film after three decades of extensive travels in the region. London says his film offers a "provocative alternative" on the issue of rapid deforestation in the area containing "Earth's last great forest and its unparalleled concentration of biodiversity."
London answered questions from the audience after the film.
2012 Speaker:
Jonathan Kozol, educator and social justice advocate, delivered the 2012 James W. Moore Lecture, "The Soul of a Profession: Education Under Siege," on March 29, in Kirkland Fine Arts Center. Kozel has devoted nearly half a century to the issues facing public education and to the challenge of providing equal opportunity to every child.
He has written a number of highly acclaimed books and is one of the most widely read and highly honored education writers in America.
In his most recent work, "Letters to a Young Teacher," he draws upon four decades of experience to guide the newest generation of our nation's teachers into what he calls “a beautiful profession.”
The T.W. Samuels Lecture
The T.W. Samuels Lecture Series was created in 1977 in honor of attorney T.W. Samuels, senior partner in the Decatur law firm of Samuels, Miller, Schroeder, Jackson and Sly. Samuels was active in Decatur community affairs until his death in 1989 at age 103. Samuels' sons, William J. Samuels and Dr. Thomas W. Samuels Jr., created an endowment fund to finance the series in recognition of their father. The endowment is used to bring great thinkers and speakers to Millikin for the purpose of community enrichment.
2013 Speaker:
The 2013 T.W. Samuels Lecture was presented April 9, in Kirkland Fine Arts Center by Allan Sloan, senior editor-at-large at Fortune magazine.
Sloan has been awarded business journalism's highest honor, the Gerald Loeb Award, seven times and was awarded the Loeb Lifetime Achievement award and the Distinguished Achievement Award in 2001 after 40 years spent in business journalism.
Before writing for Fortune, Sloan spent 12 years as Newsweek's Wall Street editor, was a columnist for Newsday and held positions with Forbes and Money, among others.
2012 Speaker:
The 2012 T.W. Samuels Lecture was presented April 17, in Kirkland Fine Arts Center by James Bradley, author of the best-selling historical nonfiction books, "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Flyboys."
Released as a major motion picture in 2007, "Flags of Our Fathers" tells the story of the six soldiers who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima, one of whom was Bradley’s father, John Bradley.
Bradley's most recent book, the critically-acclaimed "The Imperial Cruise," is an in-depth exploration of the foreign policies of Theodore Roosevelt.