FHSU University Relations
The lecture series named for one of Fort Hays State University’s most notable alumni will feature an appearance in November by Jay Carney, former press secretary to President Barack Obama.
Carney, who was a regular face in the national news until he stepped down in June, will present “Today at the White House and Around the Globe” at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the university’s Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center. This is the first lecture of the 2014-2015 academic year.
“We’re honored to have the former White House press secretary at Fort Hays State University,” said Vincent Bowhay, chair of the Special Events Committee and assistant director of the Memorial Union. “Mr. Carney was at the center of every major issue or event facing the nation and the Obama administration during his tenure and will be a fitting addition to the legacy of this lecture series.”
Carney began his journalism career as a reporter for The Miami Herald in 1987. He joined Time magazine as its Miami bureau chief the following year and subsequently worked as a correspondent in Time’s Moscow bureau for three years, covering the collapse of the Soviet Union. He came to Washington in 1993 to report on the Bill Clinton White House. He has written and reported about the presidency of George W. Bush and was one of a handful of reporters who were aboard Air Force One with President Bush during the historic events of Sept. 11, 2001.
In January 2009, Carney went from the private sector to public service as director of communications for Vice President Joe Biden. On Jan. 27, 2011, Carney was selected by President Barack Obama to become White House press secretary, where he served until his departure in late June.
His lecture will feature his unique insight into the issues, policies and players on a multitude of subjects, including the situation in the Middle East, healthcare, immigration reform, the economy and the upcoming mid-term election — which will take place the day after his appearance at FHSU. He will also address the 2016 presidential elections and what it is like dealing with the White House Press Corps on a daily basis.
For more information about the Sebelius Lecture Series, contact Bowhay at (785) 628-4664 or [email protected].