Lawrence University Recognizes Lech Walesa's Fight for Democractic Reform with Honorary Degree

APPLETON, WIS. -- When the history of the 20th century is written, Polish freedom fighter and champion of democracy Lech Walesa will likely be featured prominently in the chapter detailing the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.

A shipyard electrician who rose to worldwide prominence and became Poland's first democratically elected president, Walesa delivers the address, "Democracy: The Never Ending Battle," Thursday, Oct. 25 in a Lawrence University convocation. He will speak at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel and conduct a question-and-answer session at 2 p.m. in Stansbury Theatre of the Music-Drama Center. Both events are free and open to the public.

Prior to his address, Lawrence will recognize Walesa's democratic efforts both in his homeland and worldwide by awarding him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Walesa, whose stirring shipyard speech atop a bulldozer in 1980 captured the attention of his country and sparked a social revolution, emerged as a leader among striking workers who were demanding the right to organize free and independent trade unions. He helped organize the workers in a labor union that became known as Solidarity, spawning a social movement that led to the dismantling of Communist rule in Poland and eventually fueled an end to the Cold War.

Amidst widespread chaos and labor unrest in the late 1980s, Communist leaders invited Solidarity leaders to form a coalition government. In the ensuing election in 1990, Walesa became Poland's first democratically elected President, receiving nearly 75 percent of the votes, as Solidarity candidates won nearly every contest. Under Walesa's leadership, Poland was transformed into a model of economic and political reform for Eastern Europe, earning it one of the first invitations to join an expanded NATO. He served as president of the Republic of Poland until 1995 when he was defeated by Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Walesa's historic efforts in ending Communist rule in Poland were recognized with the 1983 Nobel Peace Prize and he was named "Man of the Year" by Time magazine, The Financial Times, The London Observer, Die Welt, Die Zeit, L'Express, and Le Soir.

In addition, Walesa has been awarded the United States' Medal of Freedom, Norway's Award of Free World and the European Award of Human Rights.

Today he heads the Lech Walesa Institute, a Warsaw-based think tank that promotes the ideals of democracy and free market reform.