Purdue News

January 29, 1999 'Kindergarten' author returns to Purdue on March 2 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Popular philosopher and author Robert Fulghum will return to the Purdue University campus for a Mitchell Motivational Lecture at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, in Elliott Hall of Music. Presented by Purdue Convocations, the free lecture is open to the public and is made possible by the friends and family of Robert Grant Mitchell. Last at Purdue in 1992, Fulghum has now published seven best-selling books: "All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," "It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It," "Uh Oh," "Maybe (Maybe Not)," "From the Beginning to End," "True Love" and "Words I Wish I Wrote." More than 15 million copies of his books are in print, published in 27 languages in 93 countries. He also has performed in two television adaptations of his work for PBS and has been a guest speaker at numerous colleges, conventions and public events across the United States. Fulghum is committed to sharing his success by supporting a variety of organizations working in the areas of literacy, education and human rights. Proceeds from "True Love"(February 1997) benefit Habitat for Humanity. Proceeds from "Words I Wish I Wrote" (October '97) go to Human Rights Watch. Born in 1937 and raised in Waco, Texas, Fulghum has had an eclectic career and prefers to maintain an open-ended notion of what his occupation and life might yet be. In his youth he worked as a ditch digger, newspaper carrier, ranch hand and singing cowboy, while riding the rodeo circuit on weekends. After college and a short career with IBM, Fulghum returned to graduate school to complete a degree in theology. For 22 years he served as parish minister of Unitarian churches in the Pacific Northwest. During the same period, he taught drawing, painting and philosophy at the Lakeside School in Seattle. CONTACT: Sue Stevens, Convocations publicist, (765) 494-5045; e-mail, snstevens@convos.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page