Dan Rather, CBS Evening News anchor from 1981-2005, will move his nightly news desk to Mississippi State University Tuesday. 
Rather will present his “Leadership Principles from the World’s Most Powerful Leaders” speech at 7 p.m. in the Colvard Student Union Foster Ballroom as part of the Student Association’s Global Lecture series.
According to a Mississippi State University news release, he will talk for 45 minutes, and then he will take questions from the audience.
Annaleigh Coleman, Student Association assistant director of speakers and sophomore biomedical engineering major, said she thinks he will mainly talk about his new book “Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News.”
“I thought it was interesting because he has covered everything from the Kennedy assassination to 9/11. I feel like he has insight into every major event, whether it is a milestone in the United States, because he has been there and reported on it first-hand at the scene,” Coleman said.
 Coleman said she thinks Rather is a good example of someone who has succeeded in his field.
 “I just feel like he is like a figurehead for anybody who wants to be a news anchor or anything like that,” she said.
Coleman said the event has received support from several departments on campus including the Department of Communication and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.
John Forde, Department of Communication head and associate professor, said he hopes Rather will tell many interesting stories about the history he has covered in the news.
“I think having such a well-known journalist and news anchor as Dan Rather appear on campus will be a great opportunity for our students and others to learn directly from a leader in his field,” Forde said in an email.
Nash Turner, SA director of speakers and junior political science major, said he hopes people connect with Rather and the news.
“I would like to see a kind of more personal perspective from him so he can reach to students. We watch the news, and especially him as a global news anchor, it is a very broad spectrum,” Turner said. “Here, we are in our own town, so I would like him to reach to students and show them that everything they do is affected by what is going on around the world and how they also affect it. It’s more personal than they think it is.”
Turner also said he hopes people attend the lecture because it is an exciting opportunity to learn.
“You learn a lot from other people’s experiences. Obviously, most of us aren’t going to be able to travel and see as much as he has reporting news,” Turner said. “So rather than just reading something in a book or a professor telling you something, that’s someone you’ve seen around the world that you can live your experiences through his stories. I think it makes it very interesting. I hope other students will enjoy that too.”
Both Turner and Coleman said their goal for the Global Lecture Series was to find a well-known speaker who has a global impact. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke during last year’s Global Lecture Series.
They believe Raher has this global impact.
“Having a former evening anchor from one of the ‘big three’ networks speak on our campus is a unique opportunity for students and others,” Forde said. “He was also a correspondent throughout the world for many years and has seen so many pivotal points in history. I would strongly recommend anyone interested in broadcasting or history to attend.”
Admission is free but tickets are required to attend. Tickets can be picked up in the SA Office in Suite 314 in the Colvard Student Union.