Harold Ford Jr. to give annual Stein Lecture in Ethics

Sept. 23, 2009 -- Harold Ford Jr., once described by President Bill Clinton as "the walking, living embodiment of where America ought to go in the 21st century," will give this year's Elliot Stein Lecture in Ethics for the Assembly Series. His talk will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 7 in Graham Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

During his five terms as the Democratic Congressman from Tennessee, Ford served on both the Financial Services and the Budget committees, where he advocated for free enterprise and balanced budgets. Although he lost a close bid for a Senate seat in 2006, he continues to be actively involved in the party and currently serves as chair of the Democratic Leadership Council.

In addition to providing political analyses on NBC and MSNBC, he also teaches at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Ford also serves on the U.S. Pentagon's Transformation Advisory Group, an assembly of military commanders, political figures, academics and business leaders who advise the Pentagon on modernizing the Armed Forces. He also is an overseer on the board of the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian relief organization, and serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.