By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Dillon Lecture Series begins in less than two weeks at Hutchinson Community College.
March 10 will be our kickoff lecture at the Sports Arena at 10:30 a.m., said HutchCC President Carter File. "Our speaker will be Byron Pitts. He's known for his thought-provoking coverage and his commitment to storytelling. He's a multiple Emmy award winner and he is the co-anchor of ABC News Nightline."
The second speaker in the series will be familiar to most Kansans of a certain age.
"Bill Graves, the former Governor of Kansas, grew up in Salina," File said. "He was the 43rd Governor of Kansas. He served from 1995 to 2003. When he was elected at age 41, he was one of the youngest governors in Kansas history. His term of office saw strong economic growth for Kansas after years of recession and he continued excellence and an emphasis on education."
Graves will speak April 21, 2020.
The fall speakers in the series may not be as familiar names, but they have significant stories to tell.
"Colonel Mark Tillman was a former Air Force One commander," File said. "Colonel Tillman was chosen to be the nation's 12th Presidential pilot. He served as the commander of Air Force One for eight years under former President George W. Bush. The retired colonel was responsible for the flying White House throughout both of Bush's terms and has edge of your seat stories to share about keeping the President safe on September 11, 2001 and clandestinely flying the President in and out of Iraq on Thanksgiving in 2003."
Tillman will speak October 20, 2020.
The wrap-up of the series is a name you may have heard in the news over the last decade.
"Amanda Knox is an exoneree, a journalist and an author," File said. "She was the author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, Waiting To Be Heard. From 2007 to 2015, she spent nearly four years in an Italian prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn't commit. Amanda now works to shed light on the issue of wrongful conviction, truth-seeking and public shaming and to inspire people toward empathy and perspective."
Knox will speak November 17, 2020.
All lectures will be at 10:30 a.m. at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Tickets are available online, or there is still room for a few series patrons, as well. Individual patron membership is $135 for the 2020 series.