Perkins to Speak at KU's Dole Institute

March 23, 2010

LAWRENCE — KU Athletics Director Lew Perkins will speak at KU’s Dole Institute of Politics Tuesday, April 13, as part of the Institute’s Leadership and Globalization in Sports series.

The series explores the broader economic, social and political impact of sports throughout the world. Former National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was the series’ inaugural speaker in November 2008, followed by international mountain guide Robert Link in November 2009.

Perkins will give a public interview relating to his four-decades-long career in sports administration. The event is free and open to the public, and starts at 7:30 p.m.

“Lew Perkins’ record of leadership in collegiate sports is extraordinary,” said Bill Lacy, director of the Dole Institute. “Mr. Perkins is a talented athletics director who understands the importance of sports in the lives of young people and can speak to the broader issues of academics, leadership and globalization in collegiate athletics.”

Perkins has served as director of athletics at KU since June 2003. Since his arrival, Kansas Athletics has experienced unprecedented growth and academic achievement, has won two consecutive football bowl games for the first time in school history, and has captured six consecutive Big 12 Conference championships in men’s basketball (as well as the 2008 NCAA men’s basketball championship).

In 2008 Perkins topped the public voting in TIME Magazine’s online poll of the best sports executives in the world. He was the only college sports administrator to make TIME’s list of 35 individuals, which included team owners, team managers, league commissioners and other executives from around the world.