William Paterson University’s Distinguished Lecturer Series Begins 25th Anniversary Season with Debate on Presidential Campaign on October 15

Just in time for the 2004 presidential election, two prominent Americans, former California Governor Pete Wilson and Ambassador Richard D. Holbrooke, will make the case for their respective candidates as William Paterson University begins its 25th season of the Distinguished Lecturer Series on October 15 on the campus in Wayne. Tickets are still available by calling the box office at 973-720-2371.

Former New Jersey Governors Thomas Kean and Brendan T. Byrne will wrap up the season with a lively discussion about New Jersey’s future on April 15. Other speakers include Janet Reno, former attorney general, and Frank R. Gaffney Jr., founder and president of a firm that analyzes foreign and defense concerns, who will discuss the Patriot Act on December 3. A trio of authors, Harlan Coben, Brad Meltzer and Sara Paretsky, all mystery writers, will discuss that genre on February 18.

Subscriptions for the series are $115 for the general public and $35 for William Paterson students. A limited number of single tickets may be available at the Shea Center Box Office for the first lecture on October 11, and for all remaining lectures on October 20. For ticket availability, and to purchase single tickets, please call the box office at 973-720-2371 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.; prices are $32 standard; $30 for senior citizens and William Paterson faculty, staff and alumni; $10 for William Paterson students; and $14 for students from other schools. All lectures begin at 8 p.m. in Shea Center on campus; parking is free.

On October 15, Pete Wilson, who was governor of California, a U.S. Senator, mayor of San Diego, and a state assemblyman, will give his reasons for supporting President George W. Bush. Advocating for Senator John Kerry is Richard C. Holbrooke, a former diplomat and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

On December 3, Janet Reno, the first woman attorney general of the United States, and Frank R. Gaffney Jr., founder of the Center for Security Policy and columnist for the Washington Times, will discuss “The Patriot Act: Liberty versus Security.” Gaffney served as assistant secretary of defense during the Reagan administration.

In “An Evening of Murder, Mayhem, and Great Literature” on February 18, three award-winning, best-selling mystery writers reveal the secrets of their craft. Harlan Coben is the winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, Shamus Award, and Anthony Award, and the first author to win all three. This New Jersey native is also the first writer in more than a decade to write fiction for the New York Times op-ed page. Brad Meltzer is the author of the courtroom-suspense bestsellers, The Tenth Justice, Dead Even, and The First Counsel. He has been featured on “The Today Show,” in major publications including Time and Vanity Fair, and in dozens of newspapers across the country. Sara Paretsky revolutionized the mystery world when she introduced her private detective, V.I. Warshawski, a strong female investigator who uses her wit as well as her fists. Paretsky challenged the conventions of a genre in which women were traditionally either vamps or victims.

Brendan T. Byrne and Thomas Kean, two political patriarchs who governed New Jersey, will provide a satiric as well as a serious examination of our state that is uniquely theirs. The former governors impart their partisan and statesmanlike views on the future from a past they share when they close the season on April 15.

William Paterson's Distinguished Lecturer Series is presented by the William Paterson University Foundation, the Student Government Association and the Student Activities Programming Board. Sponsors for the 2003-2004 season included: Distinguished Partners: Automatic Data Processing Inc. and The Record/Herald News. Benefactors: BAE SYSTEMS-CNI; CIT; Interchange Bank; Roche; Mercedes-Benz USA LLC; Nicholas Martini Foundation; Pfizer; PSE&G; and the William Paterson University Alumni Association. Patrons: Aventis Pharmaceuticals; Castrol Consumer North America; ECI; J. P. Morgan Chase Bank; and ITT Avionics. Sponsors: AAA-NJ Automobile Club; Bacon and Graham, Inc.; Becton Dickinson & Co.; Bograd’s; Bristol-Myers Squibb; CNA; Commerce Bank; ConocoPhillips Bayway Refinery; Barbara and Robert Evans; Gerber & Samson, Attorneys; JVC Americas Corp.; McBride Enterprises, Inc.; Edward Meier and Paulette Arnold; Merrill Lynch; Minolta; The Opper Group; Passaic County Educational Council; Leon and Paula Rosenblum; Daryl and Stephen Roth; State Farm Insurance Companies; Toshiba America Consumer Products, Inc.; Trust Company Bank; United Water New Jersey; United Yarn Products Company, Inc.; Valley National Bank; Verizon; Washington Mutual; Willowbrook Management; and Wyeth.

Note to reporters and editors: Downloadable photographs are available at: http://ww2.wpunj.edu/publicityphotos/DistinguishedLecturers04/

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For more information, contact: Mary Beth Zeman, 973-720-2444, zemanm@wpunj.edu 09/7/04