Dan Nguyen: How did you step into this job?

Pat Miller: I finished my degree at ISU and I’ve always been involved with politics and community organizations and those required a lot of event planning and fundraisers, so it was kind of a natural extension to move into this position.

DN: What did you want to bring to this position?

PM: When I came, we had about 38 to 40 speakers a year. We now have over a hundred, and so Dr. [James] Lowery [founder of Lectures Program] and others working on that committee didn’t have the opportunity I do at full time year-round, so I’m the only one in the country who works on lectures full time.

DN: What qualities in a speaker do you look for?

PM: It’s really important that we have speakers that interact with the students. It’s one of the best things about the job is watching the impact the speakers have on the students. It’s really wonderful.

DN: How do you get those people to Iowa?

PM: Iowa has a lot of advantages because a lot of folks who aren’t scholars love the notion of being involved in an academically credible series. We also have the advantage of the presidential caucuses which has really put the state in the minds of many people, and we do take advantage of this. Iowa has a reputation of being a very politically sophisticated state; I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true.

DN: Any interesting moments while you’ve rubbed shoulders with these big names, like Lech Walesa?

PM: He was quite funny at dinner, actually. He would talk about very serious things and then could be very funny. He made many jokes. That’s always surprising.

I think the important thing to remember that people frequently forget is that these are human beings, and you want to make sure they are taken care of. For example, Director John Watters flew in, you know what a crazy wacko guy he is, “Pink Flamingo” and all. He had the flu. He came anyway, but we put him to rest in his room, but he insisted on coming to dinner briefly and was quite charming. And then he gave a fantastic speech and was very funny.

Then we got him back to the hotel as quickly as possible. It’s surprising that we haven’t had people get sick. We deal with well known people and they want to be appreciated for what they’ve accomplished. But they also want to not have someone act goofy around them, if you know what I mean. The first year I started I remember turning to the speaker and asking, “How was your flight? Is your hotel room OK?” And immediately his face softened. They are so used to being on, you have to be very careful.

DN: It sounds like you have a wide breadth of knowledge.

PM: Yeah, being superficial and shallow pays off in this job (laughs). A little bit of knowledge in a variety of areas. No, what really ends up happening is that when you work on this stuff you pick up a lot more information. We’re bringing in speakers for the general population. So even if a very renowned scholar comes, the presentation is to be accessible to the general student population. That makes a lot of people happy.

DN: Who are your favorite authors?

PM: Margaret Atwood. I love Margaret Atwood. Just read Mary Howard from Ames, she was the adviser for the design college. It’s a great book. Barbara Kingsolver. They are all wonderful writers?

DN: How about TV?

PM: West Wing. I had it taped for me while I was at the Martin Luther King day lecture.

DN: What kind of movies have you been watching?

PM: Movies are essential. I love movies. Gosford Park was brilliant. Lord of the Rings, heck I even like Harry Potter. We all need a little magic.

DN: What kinds of music do you like?

PM: I am a music idiot. I have personal preferences. Well, I have no musical knowledge whatsoever. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t organize a conference on it. That just shows the advantage of having a committee.

DN: Who would you have picked for “Person of the Year?”

PM: Rudy Guiliani; let’s stick with him. He came here [in 1998] when people thought he was going to make a presidential bid.

DN: When he spoke then, did you think he would ever be person of the year?

PM: No, no. He had a really nice staff and he gave an interesting speech. I don’t mean to go against the tide, but I’m not a big Rudy fan.

DN: Who have you brought in that has been most ideologically different from you?

PM: Nice try. You don’t have to agree with everyone; we try to bring in a very balanced viewpoint.