Clarksville, Ark. ---Former U.S. Senator George McGovern, who was the 1972 Democratic nominee for president, and Barry Williams, who played Greg Brady on the 1970s hit television show "The Brady Bunch," will speak at the University of the Ozarks during the upcoming academic year as part of the 2004-2005 Walton Arts & Ideas Series.
This year’s theme for the annual series is "Looking Back at the 20th Century." Six events will make up this year’s series, beginning on Oct. 23 with The Old School Bluegrass Band. All events will be held in the Walton Fine Arts Center on the U of O campus in Clarksville. McGovern, who will speak at Ozarks on April 19, served as a senator from South Dakota from 1963-1981. He ran for president in 1968, 1972 and 1984. Running on a platform to end the Vietnam War and on instituting guaranteed minimum incomes for the nation’s poor, McGovern was the Democratic nominee for president in 1972. He lost to Richard Nixon, 62 percent to 38 percent, one of the biggest landslides in American history. McGovern, who began his professional career as a college history professor, represented South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms before beginning an 18-year stint in the U.S. Senate in 1963. He was a vocal opponent of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam, often criticizing the policies of fellow Democrat President Lyndon Johnson. Williams, who will speak at Ozarks on Feb. 1, is best known for his portrayal of Greg Brady in the popular TV show "The Brady Bunch." His bestselling book, "Growing Up Brady/I was a Teenage Greg," sold more than 300,000 copies and was turned into a television movie. He has starred in more than 100 television, film and Broadway productions, and recently released a pop music CD, "The Return of Johnny Bravo." On Nov. 9, Elena Dodd will present "Meet Eleanor Roosevelt," an historical portrayal of the former first lady. Dodd gives audiences a rare and wonderful opportunity to learn about Roosevelt, one of the first first ladies to hold her own press conferences, write a newspaper column and travel widely without her husband. On Jan. 16, Ozarks will present "Keep on the Sunny Side," a musical tribute to the Carter Family, one of the most famous and historically significant families in country music. The Carter Family’s pure, simple harmony influenced and inspired numerous other family groups in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as folk, bluegrass and rock musicians like Woody Guthrie, Bill Monroe, The Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris. On March 1, the Newport, Ark.-based rock and roll band Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers will perform. The band, in its 49th year, was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Jackson, Tenn., in 2002. The group produced five hit singles for Sun Records of Memphis and were considered among the boldest pioneers of rock and roll. They even traveled with Elvis Presley. Season tickets for all six events are available for $50. There are also discounts for seniors and youth. Individual tickets are $10 for each event except the McGovern appearance, which is $15. For more information on the 2004-2005 Walton Series, please contact the university at 479-979-1433.
Topics: Community Events