DETROIT - Oct. 22, 2008 - The Wayne State University Alumni Association will commemorate the 15th anniversary of its award-winning Arthur L. Johnson Urban Perspectives Lecture Series with an anniversary lecture featuring nine past speakers. The Nov. 13 lecture is free and open to the public.
The speakers include Graham Beal, director and CEO of the Detroit Institute of Arts; Connie Calloway, superintendent for the Detroit Public Schools; David DiChiera, director general for the Michigan Opera Theatre; Saul Green, Detroit deputy mayor; Paul Hillegonds, senior vice president for corporate affairs at DTE Energy; Denise Ilitch, president of Olympia Development Inc.; the Honorable Damon J. Keith of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; Samuel Logan, publisher of the Michigan Chronicle; and Cynthia Pasky, president of Strategic Staffing Solutions.
The panel will be moderated by Craig Fahle of WDET-FM.
The 15th anniversary event will celebrate the theme "Detroit: City Upon a Hill," a reference to Puritan John Winthrop, who in 1630 predicted his Massachusetts Bay Colony would become a city upon a hill and admired by all. From a variety of perspectives, the speakers will discuss the issues and opportunities facing Detroit and how it, too, can ascend to become that type of city.
The Arthur L. Johnson Urban Perspectives Lecture Series was named in honor of Dr. Johnson, lifelong educator and civil rights leader, upon his retirement from the university. The series features distinguished corporate and civic leaders who speak on a range of topical issues, including politics, business, law and the arts.
The lecture also marks the publication of Arthur Johnson's memoir, Race and Remembrance, published by the Wayne State University Press. Meet Dr. Johnson beginning at 11 a.m. and purchase a copy of his book with a personally autographed commemorative bookplate. Alumni association members will receive a 30 percent discount on the book.
The lecture begins at noon in the Spencer Partrich Auditorium at the Wayne State University Law School, 471 W. Palmer, Detroit. Although the lecture is free, reservations are required. To reserve, call (313) 577-2300 or visit www.alumni.wayne.edu/events.
The Wayne State University Alumni Association has been building loyalty and support among alumni for more than 70 years. No matter where they are in the world, alumni association members stay connected through special events, personal and professional development, exclusive discounts, member-only publications and many other benefits. For more information about the Wayne State University Alumni Association, visit www.alumni.wayne.edu or call (313) 577-2300.
Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 12 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students.