Longtime consumer advocate and four-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader will speak at Union Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.
Nader’s talk, “Corporate Supremacy vs. The Sovereignty Of The People – The Path Ahead!” is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:45 p.m.
Nader first gained attention in 1965 with his book “Unsafe at Any Speed,” a scathing portrayal of the auto industry, which he claimed was responsible for producing unsafe vehicles. The book led to congressional hearings and a series of automobile safety laws passed in 1966, including the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
In 1996, he organized the Green Party's first presidential campaign to challenge the two-party system. In 2000, he was widely charged with “stealing” the presidential election from the Democrats, taking crucial votes away from Al Gore in his bid against George W. Bush.
A graduate of Princeton and Harvard universities, Nader is an attorney who served as consultant to the U.S. Department of Labor (1963). He has been a vociferous voice against corporate negligence and governmental indifference, championing the rights of ordinary people. He is the founder of the Public Citizen research group.
His other books include “Crashing the Party: Taking on the Corporate Government in an Age of Surrender” (St. Martin's Press, 2002).
Nader was named one of the “100 Most Influential Americans of the Twentieth Century” by Time magazine.
He last appeared at Union in 2005.
Nader’s talk is sponsored by Wold House, Zeta Upsilon chapter (Pi Sigma Alpha), the Environmental Club and Pre-Law Society. Before the lecture, Nader will have dinner with members of Wold House.