Fred Gray Lectureship: U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 5:00 PM
George Shinn Center
Lipscomb University’s College of Leadership & Public Service presents former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft as the featured guest for its 2026 Fred Gray Lectureship on Tuesday, March 31.
A reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and the lecture begins at 6 p.m. in Lipscomb University’s George Shinn Center, located at 3906 Belmont Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37204. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Registration will open soon.
Mark Lanier, one of the top civil trial lawyers in the nation and member of Lipscomb’s Board of Trustees, will moderate a discussion with Ashcroft. In addition, famed Civil Rights Attorney, Fred D. Gray, is scheduled to be part of this special evening.
The Fred Gray Lectureship is part of the 2025-26 Presidential Signature Series.
Check back for registration link soon!
About John Ashcraft
Nominated by President George W. Bush in December 2000, Ashcroft led the U.S. Department of Justice during the challenging period following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. One of the most high-profile attorneys general in the nation’s history, Ashcroft was recognized for both his public advocacy of the administration’s counterterrorism strategy and his behind-the-scenes influence within the Bush administration.
Ashcroft’s career in public service spans several decades at the state and federal levels. Raised in Springfield, Missouri, he earned an A.B., cum laude, from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. He began his public career as Missouri auditor in 1973, later serving two terms as Missouri attorney general before being elected governor, a position he held from 1985 to 1993. As governor, Ashcroft balanced eight consecutive budgets and was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the nation’s top education governors.
He also served as chairman of the bipartisan National Governors Association in 1991. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, he focused on reducing crime and protecting the rights of crime victims. After leaving office as attorney general, Ashcroft was named a distinguished professor of law and government at the Regent University law school in 2005. He currently serves as chairman of The Ashcroft Group LLC, which provides strategic consulting and crisis counseling to major international corporations.
About the Fred Gray Lectureship
The Fred Gray Lectureship is named in honor of Gray, who was the legal counsel for Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery Bus Boycott and represented the Freedom Riders and the Selma-to-Montgomery Marchers among others.
Lipscomb University’s College of Leadership & Public Service
Lipscomb’s College of Leadership & Public Service is “Where Tennessee Turns for Leadership” by intentionally addressing local, national and global issues to prepare leaders to navigate, shape and steer the direction of matters affecting communities and people around the world. The college comprises three institutes – the Institute for Conflict Management, the Fred D. Gray Institute for Law, Justice & Society and the Institute for Sustainable Practice, and the School of Public Policy, all of which focus on both outreach and academics. Its programs include studies in pre-law, leadership and public service, nonprofit management, corporate social justice, government and sustainability among others. For more information visit www.lipscomb.edu/leadership.