Former President Bush To Speak At UB On Sept. 29

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Former U.S. President George Bush will kick off the University at Buffalo's 12th Annual Distinguished Speaker Series at 8 p.m. Sept. 29 in Alumni Arena on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

The popular series, which features political figures, media celebrities, authors and other newsmakers, is presented by UB and the Don Davis Auto World Lectureship Fund and is sponsored by UB's Student Association.

UB's Division of Student Affairs will sponsor Bush's lecture.

While Bush served as the 41st U.S. president, the Cold War ended, the threat of nuclear was drastically reduced, the Soviet Union imploded, the Berlin Wall fell and an unprecedented international coalition force liberated Kuwait from Iraq.

On the domestic front, landmark legislation -- including the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Clean Air Act -- was signed into law.

After Bush won the 1988 election, he became only the second sitting vice president to be elected president since Martin van Buren in 1837 and the second president to serve a full term without his party in control of either chamber of Congress.

A decorated U.S. Navy pilot during World War II, Bush graduated from Yale University in 1948.

He moved to Texas, entered the oil business and began his political career in 1963, when he was elected chairman of the Harris County (Texas) Republican Party.

Series affiliate sponsors are the University Bookstores and the Western New York Independent Living Project. Contributing series sponsors are Makin' Copies, UB Alumni Association, the Buffalo Niagara/Marriott, the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, the UB Center for the Arts, WBFO-FM 88.7 and CITIBANK.

Other speakers slated to appear during the 1999-2000 series are Bill Moyers, television host and program producer, journalist and author, Nov. 3; political analyst, professor and author George Stephanopoulos, March 22, and Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Color Purple," April 26.

General admission tickets for the Bush lecture are $36 for orchestra seats, $28 for rear orchestra seats, and $20 and $10 for balcony seating. The cost for UB faculty, staff, alumni and students is $34 for orchestra seats, $26 for rear orchestra seats, and $18 and $8 for balcony seating.

Series tickets at a 10 percent discount, as well as individual lecture tickets, are available through the UB Center for the Arts box office at 645-2787.

Individual lecture tickets are available at TicketMaster locations. Call 852-5000.