Madeleine Albright to speak at UF Wednesday

March 20, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Just in time for Women’s History Month, the Bob Graham Center for Public Service is bringing to campus the first woman to become U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Pugh Hall Ocora.

The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Free tickets must be reserved in advance and are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays in Pugh Hall Room 220. Albright will discuss her new book, “Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership,” and will be available to sign books following her talk.

Albright became the highest-ranking woman in the history of American government when she was sworn in as the 64th Secretary of State on Jan. 23, 1997. Prior to her appointment, she served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as a member of President Bill Clinton’s Cabinet and National Security Council.

She currently serves as the Mortara Distinguished Professor of Diplomacy at Georgetown University and is chair of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, chairwoman of the Pew Global Attitudes Project, president of the Truman Scholarship Foundation, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

“I’m honored that Secretary Albright has agreed to visit the Graham Center and share with its students and the university community her extraordinary experience of public service to our country,” said retired U.S. Sen. and former Florida Gov. Bob Graham. “As Secretary of State, Dr. Albright represented American interests well by diligently advocating democracy and human rights, promoting American trade and business, and reinforcing America’s alliances. There are few secretaries of state who influenced United States foreign policy as much as Dr. Albright.”

CONTACT: Michael Bowen, assistant director of the Graham Center for Public Service, 352-273-1080 or mbowen@ufl.edu