University of Southern Maine

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Mitchell to Address Globalism and its Impact on U.S.

April 3, 2006

Senator George J. Mitchell will be at the University of Southern Maine later this month to address how rapid increases in economic, technological and social exchanges across international borders are affecting America.

His address, "Globalism: What It Means for America," will be presented at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 25, in USM's Hannaford Lecture Hall in the Abromson Community Education Center, Bedford St., Portland. The event is organized by the L.L. Bean/Lee Surace Endowed Chair in Accounting in the USM School of Business and sponsored by L.L. Bean, Inc. Additional support is provided by Swardlick Marketing Group.

Tickets are $10 for the public and $5 for all students, K-12 teachers and university faculty members. Ticket prices include free parking in the garage attached to the Abromson Center. 

Mitchell served in the U.S. Senate for 15 years, including six years as Senate Majority Leader. In the Senate, he was closely associated with free trade and environmental legislation, and with aid to housing and education. Mitchell also was a leader in opening markets to trade, and led the Senate to ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement and creation of the World Trade Organization.

After his last Senate term in 1995, Mitchell served as chairman of the International Commission on Disarmament in Northern Ireland, which culminated in the historic Good Friday Agreement. After this success in Ireland, President Clinton, Prime Minister Barak of Israel and Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Arafat asked Mitchell to chair the International Fact Finding Committee on violence in the Middle East..

In 2004, Mitchell and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich chaired the bipartisan Task Force on the United Nations. The Task Force submitted to Congress its recommendations on how to make the United Nations more effective.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig recently picked Mitchell to head an investigation into steroid use by players.

In addition to the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Mitchell has received the Philadelphia Liberty Medal; the Truman Institute Peace Prize; the German Peace Prize; and the United Nations (UNESCO) Peace Prize.

The L.L. Bean/Lee Surace Chair in Accounting was established in memory of L.L. Bean Chief Financial Officer Lee Surace, who was a 1973 and 1981 USM graduate and head of the USM School of Business Advisory Council. The chair was made possible by a $1 million gift from L.L Bean and from its board chair, Leon Gorman and his wife Lisa Gorman, Jim and Maureen Gorman, and Tom Gorman. Jeffrey Gramlich, a leader in the fields of accounting and financial statement analysis, was appointed in 2003 as the first occupant of the L.L. Bean/Lee Surace Chair in Accounting in the USM School of Business.

The USM School of Business is the only business school in southern Maine accredited by AACSB International. Business schools worldwide seek professional accreditation by AACSB International, but only one third of all institutions have achieved it.

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