Former U.S. Attorney General to Speak at USA Political Science Lecture

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Posted on November 1, 2023

Joy Washington

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The University of South Alabama’s 2023 Judge Harry J. Wilters Jr. Endowed Lecture will be given by Alberto Gonzales, former United States attorney general and dean of the College of Law at Belmont University. He will speak on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. at the MacQueen Alumni Center. The moderator will be Judge Wesley Pipes of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama. This event is free and open to the public.

“It is not every day that an opportunity like this comes to South,” said Jaclyn Bunch, acting chair of the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice. “Dean Gonzalez is not only a previous U.S attorney general, of which there have been only eight since the turn of the century, but has served as secretary of state for the state of Texas, a Texas supreme court justice, and as counsel for the White House. The format is to be interactive, permitting questions from students.” 

“I am honored to be invited to speak at the Henry J. Wilters Jr. lecture. Judge Wilters’ achievements honor his community and our country in both the military and in law,” said Gonzales. “I look forward to the lecture and to becoming part of a long list of honored invitees.”

Gonzales has received education from the Air Force Academy, Harvard Law School, and Rice University. He was confirmed by the United States Senate as the 80th attorney general of the United States in February 2005 after being nominated by President George W. Bush and served until September 2007. Currently, he serves as a member of the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions, the Commission for Uniform Legislation, the American Law Institute, and serves on the board of directors for the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville. He became dean of the law school in 2014 and holds the title of the Doyle Rogers Distinguished Chair of Law. 

For Gonzales’ work in the Hispanic community and his achievements, he has been named the Hispanic American of the Year by HISPANIC Magazine and one of The 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America by TIME Magazine. He has also been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rice University and received the Harvard Law School Association Award, the Central Intelligence Agency’s Director’s Award and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service.

The USA Foundation is a supporter of this event.

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