OXFORD, Miss. As a reporter for The New York Times, Thomas
L. Friedman has circled the globe to cover oil-related
news, conflict in the Middle East, the end of the Cold War
and the worldwide impact of terrorism. His Pulitzer
Prize-winning commentaries have provided the American
public with straight talk and reliable information on
politics and foreign policy.
On Wednesday, Oct. 3, Friedman brings his straight talk and
perspective to the University of Mississippi as the keynote
speaker for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
10th Anniversary Convocation at 7:30 p.m. in the Ford
Center for the Performing Arts.
The convocation is free and open to the public but is a
ticketed event. A reception and book signing will follow.
For ticket information, call the UM Box Office at
662-915-7411.
“Friedman’s address will be an occasion to come together to
consider the conditions and challenges of a world
diminishing in size, tested by war and full of
opportunities,” said Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez, dean of
the Honors College. “What he has to say is always
compelling because it touches our hearts or our
pocketbooks and sometimes both.”
Friedman’s latest bestseller is “The World Is Flat: A Brief
History of the 21st Century” (FSG, 2005), which has been
acclaimed for its insight into globalization and how
lightning-swift advances in technology and communications
are transforming how we all live and work. The book also
delves into the explosion of wealth in India and China, and
why it seems the rest of us must run even faster just to
stay in place. In 2005, “The World Is Flat” was given the
first Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of
the Year Award, and Friedman was named one of America’s
Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report.
“Friedman’s visit is a spectacular opportunity to listen
and dialogue with an individual who has shaped public
debate on pressing international issues dealing with the
Middle East and the ever-present global market that touches
each and every one of us,” Sullivan-Gonzalez said.
Friedman graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University
with a degree in Mediterranean studies and received a
master’s degree in modern Middle East studies from Oxford.
He has served as a visiting professor at Harvard University
and has been awarded honorary degrees from several U.S.
universities. He lives in Bethesda, Md., with his wife,
Ann, and their two daughters.
“Hosting a speaker like Thomas Friedman someone who has
shaped what we know and how we understand it speaks
volumes about how far we have come in these first 10 years,
and it’s an exciting, challenging start to the next 10,”
said Debra Young, assistant dean of the Honors College.
Other celebratory events include a birthday party at 10
a.m. Oct. 4 at on the back deck of the Honors College.
Speakers include Jim Barksdale, Chancellor Robert Khayat
and Sullivan-Gonzalez. Refreshments will be served.
To request assistance related to a disability, call
662-915-7411. For more information about the Honors
College, visit