September 30, 2016
MILWAUKEE — The Honorable George Mitchell, former U.S. Senate majority leader, will discuss issues facing the Middle East on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. in the Raynor Memorial Libraries Suites.
In addition, Mitchell (D-Maine) will discuss his memoir, The Negotiator, earlier that day, at 4 p.m., in the same location.
The Senate majority leader from 1989 to 1995, Mitchell was the former chairman of The Walt Disney Co. He played a leading role in negotiations for peace in Northern Ireland and the Middle East. His talk at 6 p.m. is titled "Turbulence in the Middle East."
Mitchell's visit is sponsored by the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Center for Peacemaking, the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, and the Raynor Memorial Libraries.
"Senator Mitchell has had a distinguished career in public service, no better exemplified than his leadership in Northern Ireland," said Dean Richard Holz of the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences. "He had a remarkable career in the U.S. Senate and we are thrilled to host him on campus."
He was appointed as the U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland by President Bill Clinton from 1995-2001, and as the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace by President Barack Obama from 2009-11.
He was a primary architect of the 1996 Mitchell Principles and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, and was the main investigator in two "Mitchell Reports." One of the reports was on the Arab-Israeli conflict in 2001 and the other was on the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball in 2007.
His memoir includes stories about growing up in Maine, his time in the U.S. Senate, working to bring peace to Northern Ireland and the Middle East, and what he has learned about negotiation during his life.
Mitchell will be available for media interviews from 5 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. Media interested in attending should contact Joe DiGiovanni at (414) 331-7880 or at Joseph.DiGiovanni@marquette.edu.
