August 19, 2009 

MEDIA CONTACTS: David Scholnick
202-994-5349; davescholnick@gmail.com
Nick Massella
202-994-3087; massella@gwu.edu 

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT WALTER MONDALE TO VISIT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

The 2009 Public Affairs Project Conversation Series Kicks Off With "Walter Mondale: A Life in Politics"

WASHINGTON - On Sept. 23, 2009, former Vice President of the United States Walter Mondale will appear at The George Washington University Jack Morton Auditorium for a conversation with Frank Sesno, professor and director of the School of Media and Public Affairs, part of GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.  This is the first installment of Sesno's 2009-2010 Public Affairs Project Conversation Series. The two will discuss Mr. Mondale's life in politics, the barriers he faced and broke, his victories and losses and the direction of the Obama-Biden White House. The evening will include a special Washington premiere screening of the new documentary Fritz: The Walter Mondale Story.

"Few figures in American history have experienced politics, the presidency and the media as profoundly as Walter Mondale," Mr. Sesno said. "We're delighted to have someone with such history and stature as a guest of the School of Media and Public Affairs."

After serving as Minnesota Attorney General and United States senator, Walter Mondale was chosen by Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter as his running mate in 1976. He won the 1984 Democratic nomination for president and chose Geraldine Ferraro, the first female nominee for vice president in American history. Mr. Mondale returned to politics in 2002 to run for the Senate seat left open following Paul Wellstone's tragic death.

Fritz: The Walter Mondale Story is a new documentary from Melody Gilbert, the director of Urban Explorers and Whole. The film chronicles Mr. Mondale's life and legacy, from his small town Minnesota roots to his run for president, and finally, to a teaching position at University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

Emmy award-winning journalist Frank Sesno got his start with Voice of America and later moved on to the Associated Press. He joined CNN in 1984 and became a White House correspondent, anchor and Washington Bureau chief. Sesno came to the School of Media and Public Affairs in 2006 and was named director in May 2009. The Public Affairs Project Conversation Series has hosted such figures as George Stephanopoulos, Ted Turner, Gwen Ifill and five former secretaries of state.

Established in 1821 in the heart of the nation's capital, The George Washington University Columbian College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of GW's academic units. It encompasses the School of Media and Public Affairs, the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration and more than 40 departments and programs for undergraduate, graduate and professional studies. The Columbian College provides the foundation for GW's commitment to the liberal arts and a broad education for all students. An internationally recognized faculty and active partnerships with prestigious research institutions place Columbian College at the forefront in advancing policy, enhancing culture and transforming lives through research and discovery.

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