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December 19, 2003

Husband and wife team to address Ag Fish Fry in Indianapolis

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 2004 Purdue University Ag Alumni Fish Fry on Feb. 7 will feature not one, but two guest speakers, as well as a new location – the Marsh Blue Ribbon Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Mary Matalin and James Carville
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The Washington, D.C., husband and wife team of Democrat James Carville and Republican Mary Matalin will discuss "All's Fair: Love, War and Politics," based on their best-selling book, "All's Fair: Love, War, and Running for President."

Carville is a co-host of the CNN political debate show "Crossfire" and was campaign manager and senior political adviser to President Bill Clinton.

Matalin was a senior campaign official for the 1992 re-election campaign of President George H.W. Bush. She most recently served as assistant to President George W. Bush and as counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney, making her the first White House official to hold that double title.

"Whatever your political leaning, it should make for a very entertaining fish fry," said Donya Lester, executive secretary of the Ag Alumni Association. "Carville and Matalin are bright and exceptionally witty. And no other husband and wife team has had more access to America's last three presidential administrations."

West Lafayette's Cumberland Place, home of the fish fry for the past two years, was recently sold to a church, forcing the fish fry to relocate. With a crowd of 1,500 expected, the fairgrounds seemed like a natural location, Lester said.

"The Purdue Ag Alumni Association first started meeting at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in the early 1900s, so we feel like we are returning to our roots," she said. "We hope this location will be the home of the fish fry for a long time.

"While we feel this move is certainly a more convenient location for our Indianapolis alumni, we are going to do everything we can to make it accessible to all of our supporters from campus, as well."

Tickets for the event, which begins at 11 a.m., are $15 and must be purchased in advance. For ordering information, contact the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association, 615 W. State St., Room 1, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2053; phone (765) 494-8593; or e-mail debby@purdue.edu. Tickets also can be purchased online starting Jan. 5 through the Purdue Alumni Association's secure server by logging on and following the links to the ticket order form.

Writer/contact: Tom Campbell, (765) 494-8084

Beth Forbes, (765) 494-2722, forbes@purdue.edu

Source: Donya Lester, (765) 494-8593, lesterd@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page

Note to Journalists: Journalists interested in covering the event should contact Beth Forbes at (765) 494-2722.


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