By Paula Ann Solis
Staff Writer
President Ken Starr will host this semester’s On Topic session with former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell at 7 p.m. today in Waco Hall.
Admission to tonight’s event is free and open to all faculty, students and members of the community, though a ticket is required. Waco Hall has a seating capacity of 2,200 and tickets for tonight’s event became available March 18. Those who plan to attend should pick up a ticket today at the Waco Hall box office beginning at 2 p.m.
Mitchell served as senator from 1980 to 1995 and was the Senate majority leader for six years. Since leaving office, Mitchell has remained an active representative for the U.S on various matters.
Mitchell served as chairman of the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, which led to the Good Friday peace agreement between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. He was also chairman of an international fact-finding committee on violence in the Middle East and developed what became known as “The Mitchell Report,” according to the Mitchell Institute’s website.
“It will be a compelling conversation,” said Lori Fogleman, Baylor’s director of media communications. “Senator Mitchell has wide-ranging experience in law and government.”
Mitchell’s experience also includes serving as an independent investigator for Major League Baseball’s commissioner, Bud Selig, in 2007. The report, also informally titled “The Mitchell Report,” was an in-depth exploration of the use of performance-enhancing drugs within the league.
Fogleman said this will not be Mitchell’s first visit to Baylor. Mitchell visited the Baylor Law School as a keynote speaker for the Baylor Lawyer of the Year presentation in 1997.
Fogleman said Starr has a tremendous history of finding people through his past work and current travels who have expressed an interest in visiting Baylor or hold important roles in policy making, which should make for an enriching experience for all in attendance.
