Press Release 06/6/2008

WARRENSBURG, MO -- 2008 Presidential Candidate and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will accept the 20th Annual George W. Lehr Memorial Speakers Chair and deliver the keynote address at the general assembly of the 69th session of The American Legion Boys State of Missouri, Inc. on Saturday evening, June 14th at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg.

Governor Huckabee will address nearly 1,000 of Missouri’s finest high school juniors who are participating in a week-long citizenship and leadership training program sponsored by the Missouri American Legion.

Governor Huckabee is the author of several books, an ordained Southern Baptist minister and an accomplished musician; he plays bass guitar in his rock band, Capitol Offense. During the race for the Republican nomination for President in 2008, he registered victories in Iowa, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana and Tennessee before conceding the nomination to John McCain in March.

Governor Huckabee plans to discuss the life and times of a presidential candidate and his wide variety of experiences on the campaign trail.

The George W. Lehr Memorial Speakers Chair was established in 1988 as part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Missouri Boys State program. The Lehr Chair was created to honor the late Missouri State Auditor George W. Lehr, who was a Boys State participant in his youth and a tireless supporter of Missouri Boys State during his public life. The Lehr Chair was designed to assist the Boys State program in bringing the finest names in public service to the yearly Boys State session to interact with its participants.

The American Legion Boys State of Missouri will be held on the campus of University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO beginning on Saturday, June 14 and concluding on June 21, 2008. The participants must have completed their junior year in high school and must have distinguished themselves as leaders in their high school and community.

Other speakers scheduled to participate during the week-long program are U.S. Representative Kenny Hulshof, Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, Navy Seal Team Commander and Rhodes Scholar Eric Greitens and General Norton A. Schwartz of U.S. Transportation Command Scott AFB, IL.

George W. Lehr Memorial Speakers Chair

2007 Wesley Clark
Former Presidential Candidate and U.S. Army General

2005 Paul Begala
CNN Political Commentator and Author
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2004 J.C. Watts
Former U.S. Representative and College Football Star
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2003 Mike Peters
Syndicated Political Cartoonist and Creator of Mother Goose and Grimm comic strip.
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2002 Bill Bradley
Former Presidential Candidate and Former U.S. Senator
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2001 William S. Cohen
Former Secretary of Defense
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2000 Lisa Myers
National Correspondent for NBC News - Washington

1999 Rev. Emmanuel Cleaver
Minister and Former Mayor of Kansas City

1998 David R. Gergen
Former U.S. Presidential Advisor

1997 William J. Perry
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense

1996 Lamar Alexander
Former Presidential Candidate and Former U.S. Secretary of Education

1995 Dr. Robert M. Gates
Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

1994 Paul E. Tsongas
Former Presidential Candidate and Senator from Massachusetts

1993 Edward D. “Chip” Robertson
Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice

1992 Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond
Former MO Attorney General, Governor and current senior U.S. Senator

1991 Thomas DeFrank
Author and White House Correspondent for Newsweek Magazine

1990 Robert F. Hyland
Corporate Vice-President CBS Radio, St. Louis

1989 William Proxmire
Former U. S. Senator from Wisconsin

MIKE HUCKABEE TO ADDRESS 69th SESSION OF MISSOURI BOYS STATE