Peace activism, art, the Constitution subjects
of 2002-2003 A.R. Sánchez Lecture Series

Topics ranging from children's safety to the origins of Latin American art will be the focus of the 2002-2003 A. R. Sanchez, Sr., Distinguished Lecture Series at Texas A&M International University.
Ideas for peace and justice that focus on children's safety and well-being will be shared in a lecture by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Betty Williams titled "Creating a Safe World for Our Children," on Monday, Sept. 23.
A Northern Irish peace activist, Williams experienced the tragic death of three children in 1976 when an Irish Republican Army terrorist car went out of control after being fired on by British troops. She is the co-creator of Peace People Organization, a movement of Catholics and Protestants dedicated to ending sectarian fighting in Northern Ireland.
The Spanish origins of Latin American art are explored by Dr. Marion Oettinger, Jr., senior curator of Latin American Art at the San Antonio Museum of Art, in "Virgins, Saints, and Sinners: Spanish Roots of Latin American Folk Art," on Monday, Oct. 21. Oettinger is a cultural anthropologist specializing in Latin American art and culture. He has over 25 years of experience living, working, and conducting research in Spain and various parts of Latin America.
The life of Benjamin Franklin will be presented by Dr. H. W. Brands, Texas A&M University's Distinguished Professor of History and Melbern G. Glasscock Chair in American History, in "Virtues of Fun and Profit: Benjamin Franklin's Secrets of Success," on Thursday, March 6, 2003. Brand is coordinator of the History of the Americas Research Program and specializes in U.S. history and diplomatic and international history. He is the author of 16 books, including The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and a New York Times bestseller.
The Series will conclude with a lecture on the U.S. Constitution and gun control, "Back to the Firing Line: the Constitution's Second Amendment and Gun Control," by Dr. Harold M. Hyman, William P. Hobby Professor Emeritus at Rice University, on Wednesday, April 16, 2003. Hyman is the author of numerous books, conference proceedings, articles, and essays. His major books include Era of Oath: Northern Loyalty Tests During the Civil War and Reconstruction, Stanton: The Life and Times of Lincoln's Secretary of War, and A More Perfect Union: the Impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on the Constitution.
All lectures in the Series will take place at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.
For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at (956) 326-2460, visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 429, or visit the University's website, www.tamiu.edu.