Tim O’Brien, a National Book Award winner, kicks off The Big Read at St. Philip’s College with a reading from his 1990 novel The Things They Carried.

September 21, 2009

10 a.m., Watson Fine Art Center

11 a.m., Book signing

Designed to restore reading to the center of American culture, The Big Read is a nationwide initiative funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The Things They Carried is a collection of inter-related stories that revolves around the American involvement in the Vietnam War. Written in an accessible, deceptively simple style, the award-winning novel appeals to a broad audience, from high school students to mature adults, asking these readers to examine how circumstance and memory shape the meaning of our lives.

Actress Kathryn Woods Brings the Brave Work of Icon Sojourner Truth

June 18, 2009

10 a.m., Watson Fine Art Center

Truth’s legacy was powerfully revived in April when First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled the oversized bronze portrait bust of Truth that is the first sculpture to honor an African-American woman in the U.S. Capitol. Find out why in this special Juneteenth program at St. Philip’s College.

Aaron Tuley, District Manager: The Climate Project

March 26, 2009

11 a.m., Heritage Room

Tuley’s presentation will provide a broad-based scientific overview of the natural and manmade systems and processes influencing global warming. He will also discuss an array of global, national and local policies currently being developed to reduce the impact of global warming.

Dr. Belle Wheelan, President of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

February 18, 2009

10 a.m., Watson Fine Arts Center

Dr. Belle Wheelan is St. Philip's College 2009 President's Black History Month Keynote Speaker and will discuss "One Woman's Story from the Eastside of San Antonio".

Bruce E. Miller, CEO and Port San Antonio President

November 4, 2008

11 a.m., Southwest Campus, Bldg. 3020

The Port under Miller’s leadership is a master-planned Foreign Trade Zone of aerospace, industrial and logistics complexes at the center of the NAFTA corridor between Mexico and Canada. Port San Antonio had a $2.5 billion economic impact and helped employ 17,152 workers in San Antonio in 2007, according to a UTSA study. Audience members are expected to ask Miller about growth going on at Port San Antonio, where St. Philip’s College is a primary provider of workforce education.

Donna Wyant Howell: "What Really Happened During Slavery!"

June 19, 2008

11:30 a.m., Watson Fine Art Center

Donna Wyant Howell is the foremost authority on the true-life stories dictated by thousands of former American slaves who were interviewed during the 1930s. Howell will share her insights as a world-renown compiler of The I WAS A SLAVE Book Collection.

Enrique Morones, President of Border Angels, Speaks on Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)

March 27, 2008

11 a.m., Watson Fine Arts Center

Mr. Morones will speak on the topic U.S. Mexico Border & Beyond: A Debate on Immigration Reform. The speech is followed by a question and answer session with members of the audience.

Dr. Willis Mackey, Superintendent, Judson Independent School District

February 27, 2008

10 a.m., Watson Fine Arts Center

Dr. Willis Mackey is St. Philip's College 2008 President's Black History Month Keynote Speaker.

Fernando Reyes, Toyota Tier 1 Supplier and President of Reyes Industries, Inc.

November 11, 2007

11 a.m., Southwest Campus, Bldg. 3020

Reyes is president and owner of Reyes Industries Inc., a global manufacturer/exporter of textile and light metal products that employs 300 people. He is a Tier 1 supplier for Toyota of San Antonio in a joint venture that makes parts for Toyota’s Tundra trucks. Reyes spoke to the importance of people, businesses and communities connecting and networking.

Roya Hakakian, Acclaimed Documentary Film Maker and Writer

June 21, 2007

9:30 a.m., Watson Fine Art Center

Ms. Hakakian will present on the topic Armed and Innocent: Children Soldiers of War followed by a question and answer session with members of the audience.