Associated Press Notes Role of Sophomore in Bringing Ross Perot to DePauw

April 30, 1996

April 30, 1996, Greencastle, Ind. - "Ross Perot's standing-room only speech here Monday focused on what -- not who -- needs to be changed in American government," begins an Associated Press recap of last night's Ubben Lecture. Ashley Grant writes, "Perot, a 1992 independent presidential candidate still flirting with politics, jetted in from Texas, addressed about 1,600 people at DePauw University's Kresge Auditorium, then flew back home, all at the request of a single student -- Drew Powell. Last fall, Powell's professor, public television moderator Ken Bode, asked students to turn in names of people they'd like to speak at the university."

Powell, a sophomore Media Fellow, tells AP, "That's the funny thing. I'm not even a big Perot supporter. I figured if anyone would have something interesting to say, Ross Perot would.''

Perot told his DePauw audience, "We have good people in Washington, trapped in a bad system. If we allow the negatives of politics to drive American politics, we won't have this country's finest people in politics. Our legislative system is absolutely flawed.''

"Perot hasn't declared himself a candidate for 1996, instead saying he will let the Reform Party decide at its Labor Day convention. He is traveling the country building support for the party, and has said he will serve as its presidential candidate if that's what members want."

Read the full summary here.

A recap of Ross Perot's Ubben Lecture is available by clicking here.  The event was carried on national cable television by C-SPAN.

Source: Associated Press

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