Orange, Calif., August 26, 2009 -- He’s still got it. The dry wit. The passion to persevere. The political insight that comes from experience. Former U.S. Senator George McGovern, 87, visited Chapman on Wednesday, August 26 and discussed everything from his new book on Abraham Lincoln to health care. He even gave incoming Chapman students some advice at his public talk at Memorial Hall that afternoon: “Don't forget to sign up for a few history courses.”

But some of his most poignant remarks throughout the day were about the death of his friend and former colleague, Sen. Ted Kennedy.

“He’s one of the most remarkable men I think I ever knew,” McGovern said at Opening Convocation. He wanted to be a senator from Massachusetts in the best sense of the word. I think he became the greatest senator of the 20th century.” (See our video clip for more of his remarks on Sen. Kennedy HERE.)

At convocation, McGovern presented the Schweitzer Award to Dr. Anthony Garcia-Prats of the Baylor AIDS Initiative, who runs AIDS clinics in Tanzania and Lesotho. Later, McGovern taped an interview with President Doti for Dialogue With Doti and Dodge. He spent the rest of his visit at Chapman at Memorial Hall, where he spoke to an audience of 800 about his book, Abraham Lincoln (The American Presidents Series, the 16th President). McGovern said he admires Lincoln because he overcame so many barriers to get to the White House, including a lack of formal education and what today we would call clinical depression.

"He lost elections, which brought on depression," McGovern said, before joking how he knew “a little something about that.” McGovern was the Democratic nominee for president in 1972. He lost the election to incumbent President Richard M. Nixon.

After the speech, McGovern stayed for about an hour, signing books. (The line ran up the auditorium aisle and out the door.)

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