Bob Woodward

Journalist Bob Woodward, whose investigative reporting on the Watergate break-in catapulted him into the international limelight and helped lead to the eventual resignation of President Richard M. Nixon, will speak at Wayne State University's Community Arts Auditorium at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 10, on "The Press and the Presidency." An audience Q and A session will follow the lecture.

Woodward's visit is part of the university‘s ongoing Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society (FOCIS). The privately funded series was launched last November before an overflow audience that gathered to hear renowned environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. FOCIS, an initiative designed to stimulate public discussion on important contemporary issues and to bring the university's resources to bear in helping find solutions, was created by Wayne State President Irvin D. Reid, who will deliver welcoming remarks at the April 10 event.

"Bob Woodward has tracked, analyzed and illuminated the careers of presidents from Nixon through George W. Bush," Reid noted. "His experience as a reporter, editor and author has made him one of the nation's leading experts on the relationship between the press and the presidency. We are especially pleased to be able to hear his perspective in this campaign year, when so many of us are relying on the media for balanced looks at our choices for a new president."

Woodward, along with fellow reporter Carl Bernstein, was assigned by The Washington Post to investigate the 1972 burglary of Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. Their work, aided by tips from an informant dubbed "Deep Throat," led to the discovery of so-called "dirty tricks" tied to Nixon's re-election committee. The two journalists' book about Watergate, titled All the President's Men, and a popular movie of the same name, brought worldwide acclaim.

Woodward has since written or teamed in writing numerous other best-selling books, including The Brethren, The Man Who Would be President, Veil, and The Choice, among others. Three of his most recent works focus on President George W. Bush's conduct of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Currently an assistant managing editor in charge of special investigative projects for the Post, he continues to report on the presidency, intelligence matters, and government institutions.

Jerry Herron, dean of the WSU Honors College will make introductory remarks at the program. The public is invited and admission is free. Reservations are required at www.focis.wayne.edu/rsvp or 313-577-0300. Seating in the auditorium will be on a first-come basis. Overflow seating will be available in rooms equipped with video monitors. Certain of Woodward's books will be available for purchase. For more information on this FOCIS program visit www.focis.wayne.edu.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students.