de Klerk to speak tonight at DePauw

Friday, May 7, 2010
de Klerk

GREENCASTLE -- F.W. de Klerk, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela for ending apartheid in South Africa, will be in Greencastle this evening to deliver a lecture at DePauw University, which is free and open to the public.

The former president of South Africa, de Klerk will discuss "In Celebration: The 20 Year Anniversary of the End of Apartheid and the Challenges Ahead" in a Timothy and Sharon Ubben Lecture.

The program begins at 7:30 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium of DePauw's Green Center for the Performing Arts (605 S. College Avenue). Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and seating is first-come, first-served, with no tickets required.

"Mr. de Klerk is a man who changed the course of history for the better, and I hope the people of Greencastle and Putnam County are able to join in on what should be a unique, illuminating and highly memorable evening," said Ken Owen, executive director of media relations at DePauw and coordinator of the Ubben Lecture Series.

In conjunction with President de Klerk's visit, "Invictus" is playing at Greencastle's Ashley Square Cinema. Call 653-5374 for showtimes.

The seventh and final State President of apartheid-era South Africa, de Klerk is best known for engineering the end of apartheid, South Africa's racial segregation policy, and supporting the transformation of South Africa into a multi-racial democracy. His DePauw visit marks the 20th anniversary of apartheid's end: a monumental change in world history.

De Klerk will become the seventh Nobel Laureate to deliver an Ubben Lecture at DePauw.

Established in 1986 through the generous support of 1958 DePauw graduates Timothy H. and Sharon Williams Ubben, the Ubben Lecture Series was designed to "bring the world to Greencastle" and presents events which are available for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the local community to enjoy.

Previous guests have included Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Benazir Bhutto, Spike Lee and Mike Krzyzewski.

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