A United States Senator, Olympic gold medalist, Rhodes Scholar, two-time NBA champion and former presidential candidate will speak at Stanislaus State this month as part of the University’s Executive Speaker Series.
What makes this event special is that these are not five different speakers, but rather one unique individual: Senator Bill Bradley, who will explore the changing landscape of American politics, culture and the economy during his speech.
“We’re in an election year, so it’s important to bring somebody with his background in politics and his ideas about reform,” said David Lindsay, interim dean of the College of Business Administration, which plays a key role in selecting the speaker. “He’s been an advocate for taking the money out of political campaigns, which is controversial on some fronts. But he’s also an advocate for ending global poverty and is on the board of several foundations dedicated to that process.”
Bradley served in the U.S. Senate representing the state of New Jersey for nearly two decades from 1979 to 1997. In the 2000 election, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.
Before his time spent as a Senator, Bradley was an Olympic gold medalist on the U.S. basketball team in 1964 and a professional player with the New York Knicks from 1967 to 1977. During that time, his team won two National Basketball Association championships. Five years later, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Bradley graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History and from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar with a Master of Arts degree. As a New York Times Bestselling Author, Bradley has written seven books on American politics, culture and economy, including “We Can All Do Better,” “Life on the Run,” and “Values of the Game.”
Currently, Bradley is a managing director of Allen & Company LLC, a member of the board of directors of Starbucks Company, and the host of “American Voices,” a weekly web show on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.
This year’s Executive Speaker Series will be presented by the Demergasso Family Trust, which was founded by John Demergasso and overseen by his widow Bonnie Demergasso.
“It was John’s belief that through the speaker series, students would be exposed to accomplished individuals from all walks of life,” said Bonnie Demergasso. “This exposure would foster belief in themselves and aspirations to greater achievement.”
The Executive Speaker Series is scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Feb. 18 in Snider Recital Hall at Stanislaus State. Complimentary parking will be made available in Lot 3 off of Crowell Road.
Admission for this event is free, but seating is limited and reservations are required. For more information, call 667-3131 or visit csustan.edu/speaker.
