John Ashcroft, who has devoted much of his life to public service, will speak at Missouri S&T 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 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, one of the world’s premier law enforcement bodies and a key federal executive department. In that role, 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.

Ashcroft’s talk will be the fourth in the Chancellor’s Speaker Series since it was established last November. The series was created to bring notable speakers to the S&T campus community to discuss topics of importance within society and encourage the creative exchange of thoughts and ideas. Learn more about the series at speakerseries.mst.edu.