Nov. 17, 2005 -- The Liberty Bank Distinguished Lecture Series will present Gen. Colin L. Powell , USA (Ret.) on Thursday, April 13, 2006, at Arkansas State University, announced Dr. Les Wyatt, president of ASU.

His 7:30 p.m. address on "Diplomacy: Persuasion, Trust, and Values" will be in Riceland Hall of Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Dr.

According to Wallace W. Fowler of Jonesboro, chairman and CEO of Liberty Bank of Arkansas, "the Distinguished Lecture Series provides an excellent forum for outstanding American leaders to share their viewpoints and experiences with the citizens of the Northeast Arkansas area. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with Arkansas State University and to sponsor this series."

Powell, who served as Secretary of State during President George W. Bush's first term, is now a strategic limited partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a renowned Silicon Valley venture capital firm.

His best-selling autobiography, "My American Journey," chronicles his life experiences from growing up in the South Bronx of New York City through his distinguished service as an Army officer and on to his leadership in U.S. diplomacy.

Powell served 35 years in the Army, rising to the rank of four-star general.  He also served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 until 1993, overseeing 28 crises including Operation Desert Storm and the Persian Gulf War.

He is billed as a staunch proponent of democratic values, emphasizing that fighting the war on terrorism is both a military and a diplomatic task.

While leading the State Department in major efforts to solve regional and civil conflicts, he "used the power of diplomacy and the universal ideal of democracy to build trust, forge alliances, and then begin to transform these once unstable regions into areas where societies and cultures prosper," his representative said.

Admission to the lecture will be $50 per person.  Tickets for reserved seating will go on sale in mid-January, and will be available through the ASU Office of University Advancement, 870-972-3362.

Prior to his lecture presentation, Gen. Powell will participate in an informal question and answer session with ASU students from 6:30 until 7 p.m. in the drama theatre of the Fowler Center. The students also may watch his speech by closed-circuit television feed in the drama theatre.  Admission will be $5 for students with an ASU ID card.