Published: November 05, 2009 10:23 am      

General Motors chairman to speak at Texas Lutheran

Seguin — In his first public address in Texas since taking over as chairman of General Motors, Ed Whitacre will speak on the American automobile industry and the global economy at Texas Lutheran University (TLU) on Tuesday, Nov. 10. 

Whitacre, who taught at TLU after retiring from AT&T, will speak in Jackson Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. 

The audience will have the opportunity for Q&A with Whitacre at the end of his presentation. 

Admission is free, and doors to the 1,100-seat auditorium open at 7 p.m.

Whitacre served the university as executive professor of Business-In-Residence until he joined General Motors. 

This will be the third speech he delivers at the campus.

His affinity for TLU underscores his commitment to higher education and support of the values that small private universities cultivate in their students, university officials said.

“My decision to join GM is a public service – a chance for me to give more back.  That’s also why I chose to teach at Texas Lutheran University.  In addition to fine academics, they teach their graduates to give back to society,” Whitacre said.

Whitacre’s wife Linda currently serves on the university’s board of regents. 

“We have seen unprecedented changes to the U.S. and world economy in the last two years,” said Ann Svennungsen, TLU president. “I am thrilled that our students and the public can hear first-hand about the dramatic restructuring of the auto industry and our economy from one of corporate America’s leading lights.”

Directions to the campus in Seguin can be found on the university Web site at www.tlu.edu.

Whitacre’s address at Texas Lutheran University will also be carried live on the Internet via video stream at www.tlu.edu/whitacre. 

For more information, contact Kathy Hughes at (830) 372-8049.