Former U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers to Speak at UA Fort Smith on Sept. 14

A Sept.14 keynote address by former U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers is part of a group of activities scheduled for the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith campus as part of the American Democracy Project.

Bumpers, who was governor of Arkansas for four years and served in the U.S. Senate for 24 years, will speak on "The Constitution: Don't Tinker With It" at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 14 in Breedlove Auditorium at UA Fort Smith. There is no admission charge, and the public is encouraged to attend.

The American Democracy Project is an initiative of 219 campuses, according to Dr. Alice Taylor-Colbert, chair of history, geography and political science. Taylor-Colbert and Mandy Keyes, who is assistant registrar, are co-chairs of the project for UA Fort Smith.

Taylor-Colbert said the theme for UA Fort Smith's inaugural year of the project is "Freedom and Responsibility."

"The purpose of the American Democracy Project is to foster responsible citizenship at all levels," said Dr. Taylor-Colbert, "from voting in local elections and becoming actively engaged in community work to participating in national political campaigns and broad social efforts to improve our democracy."

Dr. Taylor-Colbert said she had heard Sen. Bumpers speak in April at the Arkansas Historical Association meeting.

"I knew immediately that he would be the perfect Arkansan to help us begin this very worthy campus initiative," she said. "We could not ask for a person more committed to the practice of democracy in our country."

She added that Sen. Bumpers has spent his career fostering the principle of individual participation in the political process.

"He understands that one person can make a difference, a lesson we hope to convey to future students at UA Fort Smith," said Dr. Taylor-Colbert. "We are honored that Sen. Bumpers has agreed to give the keynote address as we launch the American Democracy Project."

Sen. Bumpers is now one of more than 300 lawyers with Arent Fox, which has offices in Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles. At Arent Fox, Sen. Bumpers' legal and public policy practice includes providing strategic counsel and advice to corporate, trade association, non-profit, and organizational clients on a broad range of international and government relations issues.

Following a distinguished political career, Sen. Bumpers served as director of the Center for Defense information, as distinguished professor of public policy at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and as guest lecturer at Hendrix College. Before entering politics, Sen. Bumpers lived in Charleston, where he practiced law, operated a business, raised cattle and served as a city attorney, school board president and president of the Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to the talk by Sen. Bumpers, several other on-campus activities for students, faculty and staff are scheduled between Sept. 11-17.

For more information, call Dr. Taylor-Colbert at 788-7645 or email her at acolbert@uafortsmith.edu or call Keyes at 788-7405 or email her at mkeyes@uafortsmith.edu.