Trent Lott, Former U.S. Senator from Mississippi, to Deliver 25th Annual Rev. Thomas J. Furphy Lecture at DeSales, Thurs., October 30
The Hon. Trent Lott, former United States Senator from the State of Mississippi, will deliver the 25th Annual Rev. Thomas J. Furphy Lecture at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, October 30, in Billera Hall at DeSales University. Senator Lott, who served in the United States Congress for 35 years, will speak on, "The 2008 Candidates: What They'll Really Do If Elected." The public talk will be followed by an audience Q & A. After the program, Senator Lott will take part in a book signing from 8:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., during which he will sign copies of Herding Cats: A Life in Politics.
Senator Lott served as United States Senator and United States Representative from the State of Mississippi from 1973 to 2007. During his long and distinguished career, seven U.S. presidents have known both his cooperation and his opposition. His ability to navigate tenuous political terrain to achieve compromise was widely respected. A champion of strong national defense, Lott retired in November 2007, and remains dedicated to encouraging economic growth and protecting Americans' economic security.
Earlier in the day, prior to the public talk, Lott will take part in a student discussion session in the Gerald White Pavilion of the DeSales University Center. The student-only session is not open to the public, but media is welcome to attend. (Please note: Any members of the media who wish to attend the special student session should contact Penny Savakis, director of public relations at DeSales, at 610-282-1100, ext. 1477, or at Penny.Savakis@DeSales.edu.)
Established in 1983, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the prestigious Furphy Lecture Series, which is named in memory of Father Thomas J. Furphy, O.S.F.S., 1912-1982. Rev. Furphy distinguished himself as a teacher of "National Problems," during a career in education that spanned 38 years, and included schools in the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Allentown areas. The theme of the series is "National and International Problems." Lott joins an illustrious group of previous speakers that includes John Cardinal O'Connor, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, William Colby, Abba Eban, Lee Iacocca, Antonin Scalia, George F. Will, Vladmir Posner, William J. Bennett, Shimon Peres, Zbiniew Brzezinski, George Mitchell, Louis Freeh, Benazir Bhutto, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, William S. Cohen, Richard Armitage, and John Ashcroft.
Following graduation from college and law school, Lott worked for a private law firm briefly, before entering politics. In 1972, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. From 1981 to 1989, he served as House Republican Whip and forged the bipartisan alliance that enacted President Ronald Reagan's economic recovery program and his national security initiatives. Lott enjoyed and excelled at the process that involved building coalitions and moving legislation.
In 1988, Lott was elected to the U.S. Senate. He joined the group of pro-growth stalwarts who opposed the tax increase forced on President Bush in 1990. In 1996, when Sen. Robert Dole resigned from the Senate majority leadership to focus on his presidential campaign, Lott became the Senate's 16th Majority Leader. Once again, Lott put his coalition-building skills to use and along with House Speaker Newt Gingrich, enacted the historic welfare reform bill of 1996.
In 1997, Lott, Gingrich and congressional Budget Committee chairmen John Kasich and Pete Domenici produced the budget and tax cut agreement limiting federal spending and, ultimately, helped stimulate the economic growth that brought the federal budget into balance for the first time since 1968.
As Republican Leader during the first two years of President George W. Bush's administration, Lott led the fight for passage of the President's tax cut package, the President's landmark education reform bill, the largest increase in defense spending since the Cold War, the most significant trade legislation in a decade, and the resolution supporting the President on military action Iraq.
In November 2002, during the Senate's lame duck session, Lott drew on his experience as a legislative negotiator to reach compromises that created the Department of Homeland Security.
Lott was re-elected in November 2006, and named Minority Leader of the Senate. In 2007, he announced his resignation.
Born in Grenada Miss., Lott earned his Bachelor of Science in Public Administration in 1963, and his Juris Doctorate in 1967, from the University of Mississippi in Oxford. He is married to Patricia (Tricia) Thompson Lott, his college sweetheart. They have two children and three grandchildren.
For more information, please contact Penny Savakis, director of public relations at DeSales University, at (610) 282-1100, ext. 1477, or at Penny.Savakis@DeSales.edu.
Press Release: Trent Lott, Former U.S. Senator from Mississippi, to Deliver 25th Annual Rev. Thomas J. Furphy Lecture at DeSales, Thurs., October 30 | Posted on: 9/9/2008
For more info:
Tom McNamara, Executive Director of Communications
DeSales University | 2255 Station Avenue | Center Valley, PA 18034
610.282.1100 x1219 | Tom.McNamara@desales.edu |
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