Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The former homeless California man whose inspirational story was told in an autobiography and recent movie titled "The Pursuit of Happyness" will lead a special presentation March 26 at Mississippi State.
Christopher Gardner, now a successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker, will deliver the 2007 Delta Gamma Dorothy Garrett Martin Lectureship in Values and Ethics at 7 p.m. in the Humphrey Coliseum.
The university's chapter of Delta Gamma social sorority is sponsoring the public program in collaboration with the Campus Activities Board and Richard Holmes Cultural Diversity Center.
Martin lectureships are outreach efforts launched several years ago by the national Delta Gamma Foundation with support from the Paul Martin family of Akron, Ohio. Held at MSU and other campuses, they seek to educate students and local community members on the value and importance of ethical conduct in their personal and professional lives.
Gardner, the 53-year-old owner and chief executive officer of an international holding company, was portrayed by actor Will Smith in the Columbia Pictures drama released shortly before Christmas.
Smith was nominated for a best-actor Oscar for his depiction of the tenacious San Francisco resident who suddenly was left homeless and the sole guardian of a son in the early 1980s.
Though he lacked a college degree and often spent nights in a church shelter or public bathrooms of the Oakland transit system, Gardner worked hard to earn a spot with the Dean Witter Reynolds training program. A fierce determination to succeed eventually made him the only trainee to be offered a professional position with the firm.
After five years of entry-level work, during which time he became a top earner, Gardner left to establish the Chicago, Ill.-brokerage firm of Gardner, Rich and Co. His company since has expanded to become Chris Gardner International Holdings.
In addition to the popular movie, Gardner's life story has been recounted numerous times by the national print and electronic media.
As extensions of his professional and personal interests, he serves as a board member on the National Fatherhood Initiative and National Education Foundation. He also is involved with the Chicago Teachers' Union, among other organizations.
Gardner's address will be the second Martin Lectureship sponsored by MSU's DG chapter since the outreach program was launched several years ago. In 2005, international wild-animal specialist and habitat conservationist Jeff Corwin was inaugural speaker for the Starkville campus event.
For additional information, telephone the Campus Activities Board office at 662-325-2930.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.