EVENT: Dukakis back at MCLA for first time since presidential bid?

Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis comes to Massachusetts College
of Liberal Arts next week in what may be his first visit since he was
running for president in 1988. He'll speak Thurs., Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in
the college's Church Street Center on civic engagement, public service and
state and national politics. The event, which is free and open to the
public, will be followed by a reception.

Dukakis served three terms as Governor of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts from 1974 to 1978 and again from 1982 to 1990. He was also
the Democratic nominee for the Presidency in 1988, but was defeated by
George Bush. During his first term as Governor of Massachusetts, Dukakis
inherited a record deficit and record high unemployment and as a result,
he is generally credited with digging Massachusetts out of one of its
worst financial and economic crises in history.

However, the effort took
its toll, and Dukakis was defeated in the Democratic Primary in 1978 by
Edward King. Dukakis came back to defeat King in 1982 and was re-elected
to an unprecedented third four-year term in 1986 by one of the largest
margins in history. In 1986 his colleagues in the National Governors
Association voted him the most effective governor in the Nation.

Following his presidential defeat, he left office in January 1991. He then
spent three months at the University of Hawaii as a visiting professor in
the Political Science Department and at the School of Public Health. While
at the University of Hawaii, he taught courses in political leadership and
health policy and led a series of public forums on the reform of the
nation's health care system. Since then, there has been increasing public
interest in Hawaii's first-in-the nation universal health insurance system
and the lessons that can be learned from it as the nation debates the
future of health care in America.

Since June 1991, Dukakis has been a Distinguished Professor of Political
Science at Northeastern University and visiting professor at the School of
Public Policy at UCLA. His research has focused on national health care
policy reform and the lessons that national policy makers can learn from
state reform efforts. Recently, he and former U.S. Senator Paul Simon
authored a book entitled .How to Get Into Politics-and Why,. which is
designed to encourage young people to think seriously about politics and
public service as a career.

Dukakis was nominated by President Clinton for a five year term as a
member of the new Board of Directors of Amtrak, The National Railroad
Passenger Corporation on May 21, 1998 and was confirmed by the Senate on
June 25, 1998. He served a full five year term on the Amtrak Board as
Vice-Chairman. For more information about his presentation at MCLA, call
413-662-5201.