February 04, 2003
Contact: Sarah Ray
802-443-5794
sray@middlebury.edu
Posted:
February 04, 2003 “If
I were to pick the movie that feels most emblematic of my life story, I
would choose ‘Mister Smith Goes to Washington,’ or some other wholesome
film that shows what life was like before we became so obsessed with speed
and consumption, a time when your word meant something and people were driven
by ethics more than money-or, at least, most people were.”
—
From “An Independent Man” by Senator James M. Jeffords
MIDDLEBURY,
VT - Vermont Senator James M. Jeffords will discuss his new autobiography,
“An Independent Man,” from 7-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in
Middlebury College’s Mead Chapel on Hepburn Road off College Street (Route
125). Rather than give a talk, Jeffords will have a discussion with a
two-person panel consisting of a Middlebury College faculty member and
a student who have read the book, and who will pose questions to the senator.
Jeffords will then take questions from the audience. Following the event,
there will be a book signing and reception in the Redfield Room of Proctor
Hall across the street from Mead Chapel. Both events are free and open
to the public.
Ginny
Hunt, Middlebury College senior and student government association president,
and Chris Klyza, professor of political science and environmental studies,
will serve as the panelists who interview Jeffords about his book, which
Simon and Schuster will publish this month. Professor of Political Science
David Rosenberg will moderate the subsequent question and answer session
with the audience.
Now
serving his third term in the United States Senate, Jeffords recounts
in his memoir his childhood in Rutland, putting himself through Yale University
with the help of Navy ROTC, traveling the world during his three-year
Navy service, and his courtship of Elizabeth Daley when he was a Harvard
Law School student.
In
his first term as Vermont state senator, Jeffords’ reputation as a maverick
Republican grew when he supported welfare bills and environmental protection.
As Vermont’s attorney general, he helped draft and then implement such
legislation as the bottle bill and the ban on billboards.
Jeffords
also describes his failed bid to be governor of Vermont, and how his lack
of money as a newly elected member of the House of Representatives forced
him to live in his office. During his congressional years, Jeffords has
concerned himself with a number of issues, including education, energy
and dairy farming.
In
“An Independent Man,” Jeffords recalls his situation as the
only Republican to vote against Ronald Reagan’s budget. He supported Bill
Clinton’s health care reform plan and opposed Clinton’s impeachment as
well.
Jeffords’
disagreements with the second Bush administration and the Republican leadership
led to his decision to leave the party and become an Independent, a resolution
he wrote about in “My Declaration of Independence.” “An
Independent Man” offers a more detailed portrait of him, his beliefs,
and what led him to that decision.
The
events are co-sponsored by Middlebury College Cook Commons and the department
of political science.
For
more information, contact the Middlebury College Office of Public Affairs
at 802-443-5198