Steve Forbes Visits Fau to Deliver First Phil Smith Lecture

Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes Media and a two-time candidate for President of the United States, visited Florida Atlantic University recently to deliver a lecture to students, faculty, staff and supporters of FAU at the College of Business.

Forbes was introduced at the lecture by Daniel Gropper, Ph.D., dean of the FAU College of Business, who noted that this was the first event in the college’s new Phil Smith Center for Free Enterprise Distinguished Lecture Series, which brings business leaders and scholars to FAU to enhance the educational experience for students.

“Today, we have a man who has been a great champion of our American free enterprise system,” Gropper said. “He’s written numerous books on free enterprise, and published what is perhaps the most influential business magazine of our time. And not only has he been successful in business, he’s also entered the public sphere, run for president, had a great impact on our country and learned a lot along the way that he can share with us. He understands the shortcomings of people in both the business and political spheres, and he’s a great supporter of entrepreneurship and the American tradition of doing things in business the right way.”

Forbes’ visit was co-sponsored by the Young America’s Foundation and FAU’s Phil Smith Center for Free Enterprise. The lecture was part of a daylong series of events with Forbes that also included a lunch presentation with students, faculty and members of the business community, a roundtable discussion with students, and a dinner with FAU donors.

The oldest of five children, Forbes took over the magazine that bears his family’s name when his father, Malcolm Forbes, died in 1990. Three years later, he became chairman of the board of Empower America, a conservative political reform organization. In 1996, Forbes made his first bid for the Republican nomination for president, running on a platform that emphasized his advocacy for the U.S. to ditch the current tax code and implement a flat tax. Forbes eventually dropped out of the race, but made another run at the nomination in 2000 before bowing out of politics.

Forbes jokingly thanked Gropper for not emphasizing in his introduction what happened when he ran for president. His talk touched on many subjects, including economic history, the underlying principles of free enterprise and the current economic and political situation.

“It is good fun to be here, especially at a university that is on the upswing on the national stage, that is doing big things for the students and the community,” Forbes said. “It’s the kind of spirit that’s emblematic and really symbolic of this country, not taking things as they are, but trying to move them forward in innovative ways.”

-FAU-