November 7, 2002
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Members of the Vanderbilt community will have the chance to “Win Ben Stein’s Insight” when the popular game show host and commentator comes to Vanderbilt University’s Langford Auditorium on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the event are free for students and $5 for the Nashville community through Ticketmaster. The event is sponsored by the Vanderbilt Speakers Committee in cooperation with the Young America’s Foundation.
Most recently known for his game show Win Ben Stein’s Money on television’s Comedy Central, Stein has had an unorthodox career, including recurring roles on sitcoms such as The Wonder Years and cartoons like Duckman. His signature role is perhaps that of the economics teacher in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Stein’s career began more conventionally. After graduating from Yale Law School in 1970, he worked as a poverty and trial lawyer in New Haven, Conn., and in Washington, D.C. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at American University in Washington, D.C., at the University of California Santa Cruz and at Pepperdine University.
In 1973 he turned to politics, serving as a speechwriter and lawyer for President Nixon and later President Ford. His years in Washington encompassed the Watergate scandal and its aftermath. His political involvement continued throughout his career as he testified before Congress as a key witness in securities law cases.
A longtime writer, Stein is the author of seven novels and eight non-fiction books about finance and ethical issues in finance. His 1998 memoir, Tommy & Me: The Making of a Dad, details life with his 10-year-old son. In his most recent work, How to Ruin Your Life, Stein asserts that "failure is often a virtual road map to success in reverse," and that readers should "[f]ollow these rules and you’re guaranteed disaster. Avoid them, and you’re on the high road to achievement."
Stein served as co-creator for the sitcom Fernwood Tonight and for the quiz show Win Ben Stein’s Money, where he used his real salary as prize money for the contestants.
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Contact: Kara Furlong, 615-322-NEWS, kara.c.furlong@vanderbilt.edu