Texas A&M will welcome Raymond “Ray” LaHood, former U.S. transportation secretary and lifelong Republican, for a Wednesday lecture, titled “Reaching Across the Aisle: The Challenge to Governing.”
Lahood, who hails from Illinois, will also receive the Mosbacher Institute Good Governance award, which recognizes those “who are essentially exemplars for what we want our students to become — people that are able to make good decisions that are evidence-based, that are not driven by ideology, but rather by analysis,” said Lori Taylor, Mosbacher Institute director.
Taylor said his lecture will likely discuss the challenges of getting things done for America in a partisan government. Taylor said his ability to be effective despite not being in the president’s party is impressive, and he was chosen to introduce students to role models in government.
“We are trying to expose our students to people who have been leading players in the administrative or executive branch of the federal government,” Taylor said. 
Taylor said that while the event is open to the public, students interested in government will be particularly interested in attending.
“Any student that’s interested in politics, in government, in transportation would, I think, get a great deal out of it,” Taylor said. “I’m told — I have not met Secretary LaHood before — but I’m told he is a very dynamic and interesting speaker. We try to make sure that we get someone who’s not just a big name but is also a ‘good get.’ Someone who’s a real effective, entertaining speaker.”
The lecture begins at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the George Bush Presidential Library Auditorium. A short reception will be held a half hour before the lecture.