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The Blackburn Institute
Hoste Second Annual Frank A. Nix Lecture
Laken Laird, who wrote this article is the daughter of Wes and
Deidra Laird. She is a member of the Blackburn Institute at the
University of Alabama.
On
Friday, October 13, 2006, The Blackburn Institute was privileged
to host the Second Annual Frank A. Nix Lecture at The University
of Alabama in Sellers Auditorium. Begun by the Blackburn Institute
in 2005, the Frank A. Nix Lecture has a focus of ethical leadership
in the national arena. The namesake for the annual lecture, the
late Mr. Frank A. Nix, was a graduate of The University of Alabama’s
Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration. Mr.
Nix was a successful business leader and the founder of Arlington
Properties. He was a member of the Alabama Commission on Higher
Education and was awarded as The University of Alabama’s National
Alumni Association’s Alumnus of the Year in 1996. Mr. Nix
was also tragically killed in a plane crash that same year; the
lecture was thus named in his memory.
The distinguished speaker for this year’s
Nix Lecture was General Wesley K. Clark. General Clark set himself
apart early in his life by graduating first in his class at West
Point and earning masters degrees from Oxford University as a Rhodes
Scholar. Through a 34-year career, General Clark rose through the
ranks of the U.S. Army to become a four-star general. He served
as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and his final
military command, Operation Allied Force, saved 1.5 million Albanians
from ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. After retiring from the military
in 2000, General Clark became an investment banker, author, and
businessman. In September 2003, Clark announced that he would run
as a Democratic candidate for President of the United States; he
won Oklahoma before his campaign concluded. General Clark has also
received numerous awards in his lifetime. He is married to Gert
Clark, and they have one son.
Before he gave the public Nix Lecture, General Clark met with Blackburn
Institute Fellows in a private question and answer session. In the
private session, Blackburn Fellows asked General Clark questions
regarding his career, ethical leadership, and the United States’
role in the world. General Clark gave the public Nix Lecture in
front of a crowded Sellers Auditorium, as well as to a global audience;
1,000 people viewed the Nix Lecture in 43 states and 13 nations
via webcast. General Clark’s lecture focused on national security
and strategy. Clark pointed out situations the U.S. is facing in
Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea. By discussing the U.S. stance
in the world, Clark made the audience come to grips with the fact
that the U.S. is lacking in foreign relations. If we want to remain
a competitive nation in this changing world, we must take progressive
steps to do so. Some progressive steps Clark suggested included
strengthening the education system, making U.S. industries competitive,
and talking to countries we do not like. General Clark shares the
vision of the Blackburn Institute and motivated the audience to
go out and cause progressive changes to occur.
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