O’Donnell to give next Forester Lecture

Huntington, Ind. "James O'Donnell, associate professor of business and executive-in-residence at Huntington College, will deliver the next Forester Lecture, to be held Monday, May 5, at 7 p.m., in the Merillat Centre for the Arts main auditorium. The public is cordially invited to attend the lecture, free of charge.

In his lecture, titled We're Forever Blowing Bubbles, O'Donnell will focus on how investor fascination with the promises of technology drove an unprecedented period of growth in the U.S. economy. The economic bubble burst in the year 2000, taking down with it years of heady growth and investor wealth. This lecture tells the story of the Internet technology bubble, as well as two of its earlier relatives, the Great Tulip Craze that swept Holland in the early 1600's and the South Sea Bubble that infected England in the early 1700's.

O'Donnell brings to HC's business department the savvy earned as senior executive at some of the nation's largest investment companies. From 1981 to 1985, he served as vice president and national sales manager for the Dreyfus Service Corporation, where he was charged with developing and managing a national sales force. During his final year with Dreyfus, he sold $1.5 billion in new investments. From 1985 to 1989, O'Donnell led the sales and marketing division of the Portfolio Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Chemical Bank. During his tenure, assets under the firm's management grew from $800 million to $2.5 billion. O'Donnell then moved on to Fidelity Investments, first as the senior vice president for Personal Advisory Services, then as executive vice president and founding director of the High Net Worth Group, a segment marketing arm serving the needs of wealthy individuals. In 1992, he joined the Boston firm of Scudder, Stevens and Clark, again serving the investment needs of high net worth individuals.

A man of deep convictions and great thoughtfulness, O'Donnell's opinions on ethics and finance have appeared in Barron's, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, America, and many other publications.

Huntington College is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 60 academic concentrations. US News & World Report ranks Huntington among the Top 10 comprehensive colleges in the Midwest. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington College is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in Huntington, Indiana.