Even though most everyone has had their fill of cigar talk and blue dresses, and all the other unsavory connotations the Clinton Oval Office brings to mind, Davidson College will host a speaker who will present a much more holistic picture of the presidential operation. As the Joseph Wearns Lecturer, Erskine Bowles, Chief of Staff from November 1996 for November 1998 to our successful and infamous Commander in Chief, has promised to speak candidly about his experiences in the political pressure cooker. Mr. Bowles, now the Managing Director of the Charlotte-based merchant bank Carousel Capital, began his investment banking career by focusing on middle market transactions—an interest which led him to serve as the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Association Administration before moving into the White House itself.

With a combination of White House experience, small biz loyalty, and dedicated track record of service, Erskine Bowles, like a good buffet, appeals to everyone: the slick, the quick, and the highminded--politics and a side of inspiration served up on May 4th.