 MBA students, faculty, and staff gather together each week to participate in the school assembly program. One week may feature a conservative politician, followed by a controversial author, or a Buddhist monk. A variety of topics and talent provides a platform for a broad range of perspectives and inspires lively debate among the school community.
In addition to outside speakers, MBA students, faculty, and alumni are invited to the podium or stage. The entire school community comes together to appreciate a student’s talents outside the classroom, see another side of a faculty member, or learn how an alumnus has fared in the world beyond this campus.
Every fall for over a century and a half, MBA has opened the school year with an assembly. For new students, this will be the first time they experience their entire school coming together: the esprit de corps is almost palpable.
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Writers
Michael Crichton
Author, producer, ER, Jurassic Park
Buzz Bissinger
Pulitzer Prize-winning author,
Friday Night Lights
Frank DeFord
Commentator, National Public Radio
Senior writer, Sports Illustrated
Author, Alex: The Life of a Child,
The Heart of a Champion
Ann Patchett
Author, Bel Canto, Truth & Beauty
Katie Koestner
Speaker, writer, women’s advocacy
James Steyer
Author, The Other Parent,
Founder, Common Sense Media
Jeffrey Marx
Pulitzer Prize-winning author,
A Season of Life
with Joe Ehrmann
NFL professional
John Badalament
Author, All Men Are Sons
Scott Simon
Host, National Public Radio
Academicians
Pedro Garcia
Director, Metro schools
Kent Syverud
Dean, Vanderbilt Law School
David Williams II
Vice Chancellor, Vanderbilt University
Artists & Musicians
John Hiatt
Michael McDonald
John Prine
Amy Grant
Kenny Chesney
CeCe Winans
Barbara Mandrell
Suzy Boggess
Lee Ann Womack
Matraca Berg
Kevin Welch
John Kay
Gary Nicholson
Richard Speight, Jr. (’88)
Actor, Band of Brothers,
IBM commercials
Citadel Chorus
Fisk Jubilee Singers
Nashville Symphony
Nashville Shakespeare Festival
MBA Ellington Jazz Band
Yale Circle Players
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Athletes
Hunter Hillenmeyer (’99)
Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears
R.A. Dickey (’93)
Texas Rangers
Olympic gold medal winner
Mike Reid
Cincinnati Bengals
Singer/songwriter
Father of Matt (’02)
Steve Spurrier
College football coach
Politicians & Military Officers
Bill Frist (’70)
U.S. Senate Majority Leader
J. Wilson Prueher (’60)
Four-star Navy Admiral
Former ambassador to China
Joe Wood (’77)
Office of the Vice President of the United States, NASA
Bill Purcell
Mayor, Nashville
Michael Durant
Chief Warrant Officer
Pilot, Black Hawk Down
Joe Thompson (W ’37)
World War II pilot
Entrepreneurs
Ted Turner
Founder, CNN, WTBS, TNT
David Tune (’81)
Speaker, Buddhism
Morgan Entrekin (’73)
President, Grove/Atlantic Publishing
Thomas F. Frist, Jr. (’56)
Chairman Emeritus,
Hospital Corporation of America
Martha Ingram
CEO, Ingram Industries
Y.S. Chi
President, Random House Asia
Jim Neal
Former White House Counsel
Watergate prosecutor
Religious Leaders
Ken Kanter
Rabbi, Congregation Micah
Kenneth Swanson
Dean, Christ Church Cathedral
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