DePauw Stories

DePauw University is honored to announce an upcoming conversation with best-selling author and internationally renowned comedian Trevor Noah as part of the Timothy and Sharon Ubben Lecture Series. The event will take place on Thursday, April 30, at DePauw’s Neal Fieldhouse.

Trevor Noah is best known for being the Emmy Award-winning host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central and for hosting the Grammy Awards for the past six consecutive years. He has written, produced and starred in 14 comedy specials, and his “Off The Record” tour sold out worldwide. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood,” as well as the #1 New York Times bestseller “Into the Uncut Grass.” He launched the Trevor Noah Foundation to improve access to quality education for underserved youth in South Africa. Trevor now hosts an original SiriusXM podcast titled “What Now? With Trevor Noah” and heads up his production company Day Zero Productions.

“We are delighted to welcome Trevor Noah to DePauw,” said university president Lori S. White. “Over the past four decades, the Ubben Lecture Series has introduced our campus to many remarkable individuals, and Trevor’s visit is sure to add to that rich legacy of greatness. We have much to learn from Trevor’s experiences, and I cannot wait to see how his message will inspire our students and community members to be more engaged citizens.”

Since its inception in 1986, the Ubben Lecture Series has brought the world to DePauw by hosting the most renowned leaders and thinkers in government, science, the arts and more. Founded by Tim and Sharon Ubben, both members of DePauw’s Class of 1958, the series has featured former heads of state, Nobel Prize winners, presidential candidates, civil rights activists, professional athletes, entrepreneurs and best-selling authors. Noah’s appearance next month will not only mark the series’ 121st program, but it will also serve as the final event of the Ubben Lecture Series, drawing a close to a 40-year tradition that has been widely beloved by multiple generations of DePauw students and alumni.

“Tim and I never realized this lecture series would receive the level of respect that it has,“ said Sharon Ubben, who has maintained a high level of involvement in its oversight since the passing of her husband in 2021. “It has been a tremendous responsibility, but also a wonderful success story. I think it is important to be involved in the country, to keep abreast of what's going on and to try to do the best you can do to help. I hope the lectures have done that. Although it has taken two years to pull together this final lecture, everyone is excited about it, and I am looking forward to yet another opportunity to learn alongside the entire DePauw community.”

40 Years of Learning

The Ubben Lecture Series is rooted in a tradition of philanthropy that dates back to the late 1950s, when the Ubbens’ made their first gift to the university in the amount of $26. From that humble beginning, Tim and Sharon continued to expand their commitment to their alma mater, remaining true to the philosophy of “giving while living.” As their partnership with the university grew over the years, they eventually identified an opportunity to invest in elevating DePauw’s public profile while also providing students and community members with unprecedented access to extraordinary learning experiences.

“DePauw was always accused of being under the bubble,” said Sharon. “Nobody knew where DePauw was, and nobody of any importance ever came to DePauw. Tim said, ‘I want to change that. I want to bring the world to DePauw.’”

The Ubben Lecture Series hosted its first guest on November 5, 1986, when Colorado Governor Richard Lamm spoke in Meharry Hall on the subject of “Health Care in the Age of Technology.” In the years that followed, the series grew exponentially, attracting a broad spectrum of global figures such as Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Malala Yousafzai, Jane Goodall, Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackson. It also featured several notable DePauw alumni, including Lee Hamilton ’52, Vernon E. Jordan Jr. '57 and Dan Quayle ’69. Every speaker brought a different perspective, and in so doing they all helped introduce the world to DePauw – and DePauw to the world.

“This series has been a gift to the campus, to the community, to the state, to the region,” said Ken Owen ’82, director of the Ubben Lecture Series from 2001 through 2025. “Tim and Sharon are to be commended for being great stewards of this series and making sure that it represented a broad audience. It never became a thing where it was limited to a certain group of people or a certain ideology.”

From the very beginning of the lecture series, Tim and Sharon maintained a central role, carefully curating each event to deliver the best possible outcome. Their involvement shaped the direction and growth of the series, and it also served as a model of enduring devotion and dedication for all of their fellow alumni.

“People would call all the time and say, ‘How did you get Benazir Bhutto? How did you get Liz Murray? How did you get these people?’” recalled Sharon Ubben. “There was always a story behind it. Tim and I worked together. That's why we called it our lectureship. He was the instigator, but we were both involved in every speaker. Every one.”

The End of an Era

As the Ubben Lecture Series reaches the 40-year mark, this high standard of involvement is at the heart of the decision to bring it to a close. In order to preserve its legacy and retain its intimate connection to the Ubbens’ vision, the university is honoring Sharon’s desire to end the series with the upcoming visit by Trevor Noah.

“When Tim died, I was asked if I would like to have a committee help me pick out our speakers,” said Sharon. “And I said, ‘No, I'm doing that. I don't want somebody else picking out my speakers.’ I want to have the series end as Sharon and Tim's lectureship. It's been quite a show, quite a ride, quite a legacy.”

Tim and Sharon’s legacy of bringing the world to DePauw will continue on after the final lecture. The endowed funds, at Sharon’s request, will be used to support the Bold, Gold & You! campaign and its emphasis on scholarships that make a DePauw education accessible for students from across the country and around the world.

“The Ubbens have impacted – and will continue to impact – every person that stepped foot on this campus,” said Ken Owen. “It's testimony to the fact that relationships matter. And DePauw, at its very finest is relationships. It's about people who know each other, who care about each other, who remember each other, who reach out and keep those connections going. The Ubben Lecture Series was one way that they were able to bring all those parties together and make them celebrate this thing that is DePauw. It's a sad and reflective moment, but it's also a time to celebrate the fact that we had this opportunity. It was as impactful as any lecture series could be.”

As with all Ubben Lecture Series events, Trevor Noah’s appearance will be free and open to the public. The event will take place on Thursday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m in the Neal Fieldhouse, with the doors to the Lilly Center opening at 5 p.m. Free tickets for the event will be available via Eventbrite. Tickets will be available to DePauw students at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, and to DePauw faculty and staff members and the public at 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 19.