NASHVILLE, Tenn. ñ Former Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor will discuss jobs, the U.S. standard of living and future trade policies when he delivers the annual McGee Lecture at Vanderbilt on Sept. 16. The lecture, titled "Politics and Trade Agreements," is free and open to the public.
A 1961 graduate of Vanderbilt, Kantor will return to campus to offer an insider’s view of how politics affect jobs and U.S. trade policies. "America is challenged today by continuing to build its economy while providing leadership for trade policies around the world," he said. "These challenges are best characterized by the outsourcing of jobs."
The lecture is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. in Flynn Auditorium of the Vanderbilt University Law School at 131 21st Ave. S. A reception with Kantor will follow at 4:30 p.m.
Under the Clinton administration, Kantor served as U.S. trade representative from 1993 to 1996 and secretary of commerce from 1996 to 1997. During those years, Kantor helped spur entrepreneurship while stimulating economic development in threatened communities and supporting the private sector in its continuing bid for a competitive edge.
An advocate for the creation of new rules to serve a new global economy, he led the negotiations that created the WTO, NAFTA and the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, and he was involved in the initial steps toward the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Under Kantor’s leadership, the United States completed 200 trade agreements.
Currently, Kantor is a partner in the law firm of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, practicing out of its Washington, D.C., office. In his practice, he continues to tackle global access issues, helping clients to expand their activities abroad through trade, direct investment, joint ventures and strategic business alliances.
He is also a senior adviser with Morgan Stanley & Co. and a distinguished lecturer at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California. Kantor is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
He was national chairman for the Clinton-Gore presidential campaign in 1992.
The McGee lecture was endowed by William K. McGee to honor his sons, Thomas and William, both graduates of the economics program at Vanderbilt. The lecture brings distinguished scholars to the university to discuss prominent issues of public policy. This year’s lecture is jointly sponsored by the Department of Economics and the College of Arts & Science.
Media contact: Susanne Hicks, (615) 322-NEWS
Susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu