Event is spring convocation for Barksdale Honors College
OXFORD, Miss. – Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell delivers a public address Feb. 9 at the University of Mississippi.
The
7:30 p.m. program in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing
Arts is the spring convocation for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors
College. A Black History Month event, Powell’s speech is titled “A
World of Opportunity and Challenge.”
“Colin Powell represents an
extraordinary human being who has reached the top ranks of military,
diplomatic and political circles,” said Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez,
Honors College dean. His visit provides another historic opportunity
for SMBHC students to interact with a ‘change agent,’ someone who has
participated in decision-making moments that have long-term
consequences in the history of our peoples.”
There is no charge
to attend Powell’s speech but tickets are required. Free tickets can be
picked up at the UM Box Office in the Ole Miss Student Union beginning
Feb. 6. Box office hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Before his lecture, the retired Army general plans a dinner meeting with a group of Honors College students to discuss past and current events.
“Sally Barksdale was a dear friend of mine,” Powell said. “She was devoted to the development of the next generation of American leaders. I plan to share with the students my view of not only the challenges we face but the opportunities that are waiting for them.”
“We invited Colin Powell to come to campus long before it was apparent that Barack Obama would capture the Democratic nomination,” said Sullivan-Gonzalez. “The beauty of the timing of the event suggests that the University of Mississippi indeed models ‘open doors’ to new ideas and leaders, and that our past informs us and prepares us to work for a far better future.”
Valeria Ross, assistant dean of students for multicultural affairs and volunteer services, said she is excited about Powell’s visit.
“I am absolutely elated to have the opportunity to hear Colin Powell speak to our students and extended community when he visits on Feb. 9,” Ross said. “I am sure the words offered by Gen. Powell will be words that we will reflect on for years to come and that his visit will be one of the most cherished University of Mississippi moments for all who attend.”
Powell was born in Harlem in 1937. His parents were Jamaican immigrants who stressed the importance of education and personal achievement. He grew up in the South Bronx, where he graduated from high school and entered the City College of New York. He joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps and graduated in 1958 at the top of his ROTC class, with the rank of cadet colonel, the highest rank in the corps.
Powell was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He was awarded the Purple Heart, and later that year, the Bronze Star. He earned an MBA at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years, during which time he held myriad command and staff positions and rose to the rank of four-star general. During this time, he oversaw 28 crises, including Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. In 1995, he published his best-selling autobiography, “My American Journey” (Ballantine Books).
In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Powell to be the 65th secretary of state. He stepped down in 2005. He has received two Presidential Medals of Freedom, a Presidential Citizens Medal, a Congressional Gold Medal, a Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal and the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award.
“I hope that our students hear the personal story of someone who has made tough choices and decisions – from early on in his career till his final days in Washington, D.C. – and that character, discipline and hope enabled him – and will propel all of us to envision a brighter future for all,” Sullivan-Gonzalez said.
Since returning to private life, Powell has become a strategic limited partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, renowned Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Powell is the founder of the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies at his alma mater, City College of New York, and he is helping to raise funds for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., and for the construction of an education center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
For more information, visit http://www.honors.olemiss.edu . For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7294.