John Ashcroft will speak at Missouri S&T in Rolla on Tuesday, April 30

John Ashcroft, who has devoted much of his life to public service, will speak at Missouri S&T in Rolla on Tuesday, April 30, as part of the university’s Chancellor’s Speaker Series. Ashcroft’s presentation will begin at 5 p.m. at Leach Theatre in Castleman Hall, which is located at 10th and Main Streets in Rolla. Refreshments will be available in the theater lobby at 4:30 p.m. Individuals interested in attending the free event should RSVP at speakerseries.mst.edu. Ashcroft served as U.S. Attorney General from 2001 to 2005 under the administration of President George W. Bush. He previously served as a U.S. Senator from Missouri and the 50th Governor of Missouri, and now serves as the founder and chair of the Ashcroft Law Firm. As Attorney General, Ashcroft led the U.S. Justice Department, the world’s largest international law firm and law enforcement agency. He integrated strategic planning, budgeting, and performance measures, which resulted in the DOJ earning a clean audit for the first time in its history.
From 1985 to 1993, as Governor of Missouri, Ashcroft balanced eight consecutive budgets, built a $120 million budget surplus, and established a $190 million operating reserve. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, Ashcroft authored budget rules protecting Social Security and Medicare and helped balance the federal budget for the first time in decades. In 1973, Ashcroft served as Missouri Auditor, followed by two terms as Missouri Attorney General. Raised in Springfield, Missouri, he earned an undergraduate degree from Yale University and a law degree from the University of Chicago.