Press Releases
Saint Xavier University's Center for Religion and Public Discourse Welcomes Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar on Oct. 29
Republican leader will talk about centering oneself in the public life.
CHICAGO (Oct. 14, 2003) – Saint Xavier University’s Center for Religion and Public Discourse will host former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29 in McGuire Hall. Following a 6 p.m. reception, Edgar will present a lecture titled “Centering Your Self in the Public Life.” A question-and-answer session will conclude the program.
With a career in government spanning 30 years, Edgar has been called “the right governor at the right time for Illinois.” He was first elected to the state’s highest office in 1990 and reelected in 1994 by the widest margin in Illinois history. Edgar faced a $1 billion deficit upon taking office in 1991, and in 1999, left office with a $1.5 billion surplus.
Currently a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs, Edgar lectures at other colleges and universities throughout the state.
Edgar’s visit is part of an annual lecture series sponsored by Saint Xavier’s Center for Religion and Public Discourse. The series, titled “The Squeaky Weal,” selects a yearlong theme and then invites people from outside the university’s academic community – some with obvious connections to formal religion and some without – to address the theme by exploring one or more sides of the issue.
According to Sister Sue Sanders, RSM, Ph.D., in allowing prominent individuals to reflect in such a manner, the university community is then inspired to likewise examine the religious, ethical and spiritual dimensions of our lives.
Edgar will discuss how he stayed purposeful and passionate about his job, as well as the moral compass – perhaps religious, perhaps not – that guides him in making personal and professional decisions.
I very much look forward to hearing Governor Edgar’s reflections on how he tried to ‘center’ himself in the public life. I think that both his reflections and the open-mike discussion that follows will help those present better reflect on how and where we center our own lives, whether in our religious beliefs or in some other ethical or moral grounding,” Sanders said.
The lecture is free and open to the public, however seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please contact the Center for Religion and Public Discourse at (773) 298-3981.