LSU Political Communication Professor Robert Mann to Deliver ‘Last Lecture’ in Celebration of Students at Inaugural Manship School Event

April 15, 2024

BATON ROUGE—Robert Mann, LSU professor and Manship Chair in Journalism at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication, will deliver the School’s inaugural “Last Lecture” on April 17, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. at the LSU Journalism Building’s Holliday Forum.

Mann has spent 18 years in the classroom at the Manship School, teaching students about campaigns and political activism. His Last Lecture, "Uncivilized Behavior: What My Students and I Learned About Political Activism and Saving Our Democracy," is open to the public, with a special focus on students.

“This last lecture is an opportunity to reflect on what my students taught me,” said Mann. “Every semester, I’ve been inspired by the courage, resourcefulness, compassion and wisdom of the young people I’ve been privileged to know. They’ve inspired me not only to be a better teacher but a better person. My talk will be a celebration of them.”

Prior to joining the Manship School in 2006, Mann served as communications director to the late former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. He joined the governor’s staff in 2004 after serving 17 years as state director and press secretary to former U.S. Senator John Breaux of Louisiana. Mann also served as press secretary to the late former U.S. Senator Russell Long of Louisiana, as well as former U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana. In 2014, he was inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame.

The Last Lecture Series is an opportunity for speakers to reflect on a lifetime of academic pursuits and professional experiences, sharing some of the most important lessons gleaned from their lifetime of teaching, research and service. A reception will follow Mann's lecture.

Register to attend the event via Eventbrite. Admission is complimentary. The event is anticipated to sell out quickly. It will also be livestreamed on the Manship School’s YouTube channel.

For more information, contact acharbonnet1@lsu.edu.

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LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers undergraduate degrees in public relations, journalism, political communication, digital advertising and pre-law, along with four graduate degree programs: Master of Mass Communication, Ph.D. in Media and Public Affairs, Certificate of Strategic Communication and dual MMC/Law degree.