Former Speaker Dennis Hastert to deliver Walsh Ethics Lecture
J. Dennis Hastert (R- Ill.), the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, will deliver the 2014 lecture in the Walsh Ethics Lecture Series on Ethics in the Workplace at William & Mary’s Mason School of Business.
In his talk April 16, Hastert will address “Truth in Leadership.” The event will be in the Mason School’s Brinkley Commons from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
The Walsh Lecture is part of Executive in Residence program series. It was established in 2007 to provide executives in residence, seminars, speakers and discussions, which center on stressing the value of ethics in today’s business education.
Hastert became the 59th Speaker of the House of Representatives in January 1999. He served in that capacity until Jan. 3, 2007, surpassing the record previously held by fellow Illinoisan, Joe Cannon. During his tenure in Congress Hastert focused his efforts on lowering taxes, improving education, strengthening Social Security and Medicare and bolstering national defense.
During his congressional tenure Hastert served as Chief Deputy Majority Whip (104th Congress), and he also served as chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs and Criminal Justice. He was also the point person on health care reform and chaired the Speaker's Steering Committee on Health and the Resource Group on Health. Additionally, he helped author the health care reform bill, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996 and chaired the House Working Group on Health Care Quality.
Past speakers in the Walsh Lecture Series include entrepreneur Kathi Lentzsch, author Dwight Harshbarger and Mason School namesake, Raymond A. "Chip" Mason '59, senior advisor at Legg Mason, Inc.
Prior to his time in Congress, Hastert served three terms in the Illinois General Assembly and spent the first 16 years of his career as a government and history teacher at Yorkville High School. In addition to teaching, he coached football and wrestling at the high school.
Since retiring from Congress in November 2007, Hastert has worked on various projects in the areas of education, transportation and energy. He served as a member of the board of Advance Illinois, is on the board of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and is a Senior Advisor at Dickstein Shapiro LLP.
Hastert earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Wheaton College and his masters in philosophy of education from Northern Illinois University.
