LEWISTON, Maine -- Former U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards, R-Okla., a leading conservative voice on foreign and defense policy, will speak at Bates College on (Thursday) Oct. 10 as part of the lecture series "The Quality of Our Civic Discourse and Life."

Edwards, now a lecturer at Harvard UniversityÕs Kennedy School of Government, will discuss "The Media and Civic Discourse" in his talk at 7:30 p.m. in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives. The public is invited to attend at no charge.

A founding trustee of the Heritage Foundation, Edwards also was chairman of the American Conservative Union and, during his 16 years in Congress, chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, the fourth- ranking GOP leadership post. He is the author of two books and numerous articles, and has appeared on such television programs as "Larry King Live" and "Good Morning America." He broadcasts a weekly commentary on National Public RadioÕs "All Things Considered."

The lecture series on civic discourse is sponsored by the Edmund S. Muskie Archives at Bates.