Steve Forbes, a widely respected economics prognosticator and former presidential candidate, will deliver "The Economy and The Price of Freedom: Global and Domestic" on Monday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Open VISIONS Forum, a program of University College at Fairfield University, will present this lecture/discussion.

Forbes is president and chief executive officer at Forbes and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine, the nation's leading business magazine with a circulation of 850,000. Well-known for his insightful economic forecasts, Forbes also ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000, vigorously championing a platform that included a flat tax, medical savings accounts, parental choice in schools and a strong national defense.

"Creating personal wealth - not redistributing it - should be one of America's highest priorities as we move into the new century," he wrote in his 1999 book, "A New Birth of Freedom." "The real source of wealth and capital in this new era is not material things. It is the human mind, the human spirit, the human imagination and our faith in the future. That's the magic of a free society. Everyone can move forward and prosper because wealth comes from within."

Born in 1947 in Morristown, N.J., Forbes graduated cum laude from the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass. From there, he headed to Princeton University, where he founded his first magazine, Business Today. With a circulation of 200,000, Business Today became the country's largest magazine published by and for students.

In 1985, Forbes made a name for himself in another arm of the media when President Ronald Reagan named him chairman of the bipartisan Board of International Broadcasting, a post he held until 1993. He oversaw the operation of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, two stations broadcasting behind the Iron Curtain. Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, former president of Poland, once praised these broadcasts as being critical to the struggle against Communism.

Forbes assumed the top post at Forbes in 1990. In addition to his executive duties, he is chairman of the company's American Heritage division and publisher of American Heritage magazine and two quarterlies, American Legacy and American Heritage of Invention & Technology.

But it is with Forbes magazine that he has made his mark on the country's economic outlook. He is the only four-time winner of the highly prestigious Crystal Owl Award, formerly given by USX Corporation to the financial journalist whose economic forecasts for the coming year proved most accurate.

"Steve Forbes has made Forbes magazine one of the most influential business periodicals in the world today," said Norman Solomon, dean, Charles F. Dolan School of Business, Fairfield University. "The insights provided by the magazine are highly valued by academics and practitioners alike. Steve's own wit and sharp analysis lend a tremendous level of sophistication to the business press."

Forbes turned his attention to national office in the mid-1990s, running energetic campaigns for the Republican nod. While he's best known for touting a controversial flat tax plan, he also spoke out for school choice, term limits, a new Social Security system and a host of other issues. Shortly before his 2000 run, he released his book, "A New Birth of Freedom," (Regnery, 1999), which outlined his ideas for the new millenium.

Though his presidential bids were not successful, many credited him with strongly influencing the national debate.

"Without Mr. Forbes' ideas, indeed, neither John McCain nor George W. Bush would have much of an agenda of his own this year," the Wall Street Journal said of his 2000 run.

In between campaigns, Forbes was honorary chairman of Americans for Hope, Growth and Opportunity, a grassroots, issues-advocacy organization striving to advance what it called pro-growth, pro-family and pro-freedom issues.

Prior to that, Forbes served as chairman of the board of directors of Empower America, a political reform group founded by former presidential candidate Jack Kemp, former Secretary of Education William Bennett and former United Nations Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick.

Forbes currently serves on several boards, including the board of trustees of Princeton University, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and the National Taxpayers Union, and the board of overseers of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He holds honorary degrees from Lehigh and Pepperdine universities, Iona, Hiedelberg and New Hampshire colleges, New York Institute of Technology and many other institutions.

Forbes' appearance is the second of seven Open VISIONS Forum lecture/discussions this season. Tickets are $22, with discounts available for students and senior citizens. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit the website, www.quickcenter.com.

Posted On: 09-26-2003 09:09 AM

Volume: 36 Number: 74