David Letterman has brought top leaders in the media, business and academia to Ball State through a gift he made to the university in 2007.

The David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series lets Ball State students and the broader community learn from industry leaders about communication and technology trends and how they are changing society.

The series kicked off in 2009 with guest lecturer Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Since then, the series has attracted Fortune 500 company executives, technological innovators, world-renowned journalists, and more.

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Dave and Oprah Winfrey

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Dave and Rachel Maddow

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Dave and Biz Stone

More Letterman Speakers

  • John Quiñones | "From the Barrio to Network Television:
    The Power of Never Taking 'No' for an Answer."
    ABC News, TV Host April 11, 2022
  • Tiara Thomas | A Conversation with Tiara Thomas
    Grammy and Oscar Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter
    September 20, 2021
  • Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere with Drew Adamson | How Esports is Shaping the Future of Media
    Pentalingual (English, German, Dutch, Spanish & French) Broadcaster with a Penchant for Performance.
    September 23, 2020
  • Kathleen Hall Jamieson | Cyber-War: How the Internet Has Changed Politics Forever (Centennial Event)
    PhD., Co-Founder of Factcheck.com
    March 27, 2019
  • Holly Rowe | Working and Living with Passion and Purpose
    Reporter and Play-by-Play Commentator - ESPN
    October 22, 2018
  • Christopher Bell | Female Superheroes Empower & Save the World
    Assistant Professor of Media Studies and Director of Graduate Studies in the Dept. of Communication at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs
    March 30, 2017
  • Ashley C. Ford | Making Connection Meaningful
    Forbes 30 under 30 in Media
    November 6, 2017
  • Shubham Banerjee | The Entrepreneurial Generation
    Founder of Braigo Labs Inc.
    March 30, 2016
  • Amy Webb | What Does the Future of Media Mean for You?
    Founder of Future Today Institute
    April 14, 2016
  • John Anderson | SportsCenter Stories: Good Games, Great Stories & "Do I Need to Wear Pants?"
    ESPN Sportscaster
    October 13, 2016
  • Gail Sheehy | Dare To Be Different
    Author of Passages
    October 1, 2015
  • Spike Jones & Bennett Miller | Dave at Ball State + Spike Jones and Bennett Miller
    Filmmakers, Directors, and Screenwriters
    November 30, 2015
    Watch Video 
  • Manjula Talreja | Cloud: The Key Delivery Model for the Internet of Everything Transformation
    Vice-President of Global Cloud Business Development, Cisco Systems
    March 27, 2014
  • Eric King Watts | For Entertainment Purposes Only?: Zombie Media and Apocalyptic Preparedness
    Professor of Media and Technology Studies, UNC Chapel Hill
    April 1, 2014
  • Eric Kuhn | From Social Media Intern to Hollywood Trailblazer 
    Social Media Innovator
    September 17, 2014
  • Brian Storm | Multimedia Storytelling at MediaStorm
    President/Founder of mediastorm.org
    November 20, 2014
  • Jennifer Siebel Newsom | Miss Representation: Power and Influence in the Media
    Documentary Filmmaker
    February 6, 2013
  • Michael Rogers | The Future of Media
    Futurist-in-Residence, New York Times
    October 24, 2013
  • Brad Lautenbach | Applied Storytelling: Lessons from the Road Between New Media and Old
    COO of Zuckerburg Media; Co-Founder and the Head of Product and Marketing for Rexly; former Disney Imagineer
    March 20, 2012
  • Jake Sasseville & Donna Fenn | The Jake and Donna "End of the World Tour"
    Sasseville: Media entrepreneur, star of new television series, Delusions of Grandeur; Fenn: Entrepreneurial Journalist and Editor at Inc. Magazine
    October 29, 2012 
  • Oprah Winfrey | A Conversation with David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey
    American Media Proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist
    November 26, 2012
    Watch Video
  • Joe Hight & Yvette Walker | Tomorrow's Newspaper Today: NewsOK Blazes a Multimedia Trail
    Hight: Director of Information and Development at NewsOK; Walker: News Director at The Oklahoman
    February 15, 2011
  • Angela Ahrendts | Burberry + World: A Conversation with Angela Ahrendts
    CEO of Burberry
    March 16, 2011
  • Bob Dotson | Narrative Storytelling: Strategic Choices of a Master Storyteller
    Today Show Correspondent and "This American Life"
    November 1, 2011
  • Rachel Maddow | Dave + Maddow: A Conversation with David Letterman & Rachel Maddow
    Host of the Rachel Maddow Show
    December 2, 2011
    Watch Video

Ted Koppel | A Conversation with Ted Koppel
Anchor for Nightline
February 23, 2010

Stuart Brotman | Can Broadband Save the World?
Distinguished Professor of Emerging Media
March 24, 2010

Stacy Halota | Privacy Please! Online Privacy - Are You Losing Yours?
Chief Security Officer: Washington Post
April 15, 2010

Biz Stone | A Conversation with Dave Letterman and Biz Stone
Co-Founder of Twitter
September 17, 2010
Watch Video

Dale Herigstad | The Future of Interactive Design
Interactive Designer; Winner of four Emmy awards
October 19, 2010

Kathleen Hall Jamieson | Emerging Media and the Path to The Oval Office
PhD., Co-Founder of Factcheck.com
February 24, 2009

Brian Storm | Multimedia Storytelling in the Age of Emerging Media
President/Founder of mediastorm.org
March 25, 2009

Jason Whitlock | Developing a Distinctive Voice
Writer for FoxSports.com
September 9, 2009

Edward James Olmos | We Are All in the Same Gang
Actor, Activist, Emmy & Golden Globe winner
October 28, 2009

Tom Kelley | The Art of Innovation: Designing the Future
General Manager of IDEO
November 5, 2009