UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Two-time Basketball Hall of Famer, NBA legend and successful businessman Earvin “Magic” Johnson will be the distinguished speaker for the 2015 finale of both the Schreyer Honors College’s Shaping the Future Summit and the Student Programming Association’s Distinguished Speaker Series on April 1. Johnson’s lecture is set for 7 p.m. in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Johnson is widely known as a star player for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and as a member of the United State’s 1992 Olympic gold-medal winning “Dream Team.” Propelling Michigan State University to an NCAA title as a collegian and the Lakers to five NBA championships during his career, Johnson would translate his leadership skills to the business world.
The collaboration between the Schreyer Honors College and the Student Programming Association invites students, faculty, staff and members of the community to attend Johnson’s lecture. This event is free and open to the public. Tickets will be available at Eisenhower Auditorium with doors opening at 6:15 p.m.
“Magic Johnson is not only recognizable as a leadership figure from his championship days in the NBA and Big Ten, he is an incredible example of someone who has used his success, and fortune, to help others,” Schreyer Honors College Dean Christian Brady said.
Johnson is chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, which provides products and services in urban communities. His conglomerate is made up of many other businesses including a billion-dollar real estate fund, private equity fund and a new African-American television network.
He is also the chairman and founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation that teaches and promotes education and awareness of HIV/AIDS. He created the foundation after he was diagnosed with HIV in 1991 and dedicated his life to battle the disease.
“The Magic Johnson Foundation is based upon a simple principle, ‘We are the communities we serve.’ That is what makes the story of his post-basketball career so compelling,” Brady said. “He has used various business and charitable ventures in order to help build up ethnically diverse, urban communities. He has shown that ‘the power of money’ can be used to transform the world in a truly positive way.”
Because of his investments, Magic is part of the ownership group that runs Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and the Women's National Basketball Association ’s Los Angeles Sparks.
Johnson is currently working on an effort to build a new stadium to bring the NFL back to Los Angeles and in the process creating thousands of jobs in the city.
The Shaping the Future: The Power of Money series was created with the purpose of engaging the Penn State community in a discussion and programming focused on global issues and leadership scenarios in the next decade. More information on upcoming Future Summit events can be found at http://futuresummit.psu.edu.
Schreyer Honors College promotes academic excellence with integrity, the building of a global perspective and creation of opportunities for leadership and civic engagement. Schreyer Honors Scholars, including Gateway Scholars admitted after their first year of enrollment, total more than 1,800 students at University Park and six Commonwealth Campuses. They represent the top 2 percent of students at Penn State who perform well academically and lead on campus.