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Religion department presents
2003-2004 Warren W. Willis Lecture in Religion

LAKELAND, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2004) - The Department of Religion and Philosophy at Florida Southern College will present its 2003-2004 Warren W. Willis Lecture in Religion on Feb. 27 in the William M. Hollis Seminar Room on campus. Guest lecturer Dr. James T. Laney will speak on "Freedom, Power and Democracy; Toward a Christian Understanding of Power and Freedom." The lecture begins at 10 a.m., followed by discussion. After a noon lunch break, discussion continues from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. 

Laney is president emeritus of Emory University and former United States Ambassador to South Korea. He earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Yale University, and has received more than twenty honorary degrees from institutions in the United States, Korea, Japan and Great Britain, including the Doctor of Divinity degree from Florida Southern in 1977. Laney has served as pastor of a local congregation, as a missionary to South Korea, as a professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School and at Harvard Divinity School, as dean of the Candler School of Theology (1969-1977), as the president of Emory University (1977-1993), and most recently as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea (1993-1997). Under Laney's leadership, Emory came to be ranked among the top tier of American universities, and the endowment grew ten fold, to sixth among all colleges. As Ambassador to South Korea, Laney was credited with playing a key role in defusing the 1994 nuclear crisis with North Korea. Since this time, he has remained active in the Korean situation, serving as co-chair of the Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on Korea. He continues to travel to Europe and to Asia in both official and in private capacities to consult with world leaders in the pursuit of peace in Korea. For his outstanding work there, Laney received highest awards from the South Korean and the U.S. governments. In addition, he received the prestigious James Van Fleet Award from the Korean government, along with the first International Human Rights Award in Seoul.

Laney currently chairs the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, is a trustee of the Henry Luce Foundation, President Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Ethics Center at Emory University, and along with Andrew Young, is co-chair of the Faith and City Programs in Atlanta.

The lecture is made possible by an endowment in honor of Dr. Warren W. Willis, a long-time leader in youth work and camping in the United Methodist Church. 

The event is free and open to the public. Lunch may be purchased for $5 and will be served at noon in the Hollis Room. For further information or reservations, please call Mrs. Beverly Johnson at 680-4180 or e-mail her at bjohnson@flsouthern.edu . 

About Florida Southern College
Florida Southern is a four-year, private, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and a master of business administration degree accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Located in Lakeland, Fla., the college is home to the largest, single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world. 

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