Known for being a president’s son and acting career, Steven Ford will speak at Mississippi State University as a part of the Dorothy Martin Lectureship in Values and Ethics series.
Ford, son of former President Gerald Ford, will speak Monday night beginning at 8 p.m. in the Humphrey Coliseum.
The event will be sponsored by Delta Gamma sorority.
Admission to the event is free with general seating available and doors opening at 7:30 p.m.
DG leadership adviser Jessica Hubbard said Ford was chosen to speak because of what his lecture entails.
“[Ford’s] lecture focuses on values and ethics and that is the theme of our lectureship series,” she said. “He will discuss his life in the White House and Hollywood, and how he got to the top with character.”
DG Advisory chairman Luann Purnell said she heard Ford speak at a conference in California. It was there she said it became evident that he should keynote the semi-annual event.
“I saw him [Ford] at the Delta Gamma national convention in Palm Desert this summer,” Purnell said. “He was very interesting and personable with the audience while talking about a broad range of topics and really impressed everyone.”
She said Ford will offer a multimedia presentation including rarely seen pictures of him growing up in the White House while also discussing his career as an actor.
“[Ford’s] presentation will have something for everyone to be interested in,” Purnell said. “Whether you are interested in the political arena or Hollywood, Ford will cover some very interesting topics.”
Ford spent nearly three years as a teenager in the White House as part of the first family. His father, Gerald Ford, ascended to the presidency after Richard Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal.
According to imdb.com, Ford has more than 40 television and movie credits to his name, including minor roles in “Black Hawk Down” and “Armageddon.”
DG President Kayla McCarver said the MSU chapter is privileged to host Ford and the lectureship.
“Not all Delta Gamma chapters get to have their own lectureships,” she said. “It is a really big deal to have your own . and it is something we look forward to every two years.”
Purnell said members of the sorority raise funds for the lectureship series through fund raisers such as the annual cheesecake sales in the fall and a milk and cookies event in the spring.
Hubbard said although Ford has not appeared in any current television shows or movies, she believes those who attend will find his words beneficial.
“He is not a big name, but if we can get people to come then I have no doubt that he will be very well received,” she said.
McCarver said she hopes for a large turn out by not only students, but also those in the Starkville area.
“[Ford] will cover something for everyone to enjoy, whether it’s history, politics or pop culture,” she said
For more information about the event, contact Hubbard at 325-5158.