Former Secretary of State To Visit OU

Wednesday, August 29th 2007, 6:17 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell will return to Oklahoma next month. Powell will present "The Challenges Facing America" on September 12th at Catlett Music Center at the University of Oklahoma. He'll also be on hand for a reception, dialogue and a dinner.

Powell was the 65th secretary of state, serving in the position from 2001 to 2005.

Before then, he served 35 years in the U.S. Army, where he rose to the rank of four-star general and was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

During his tenure on the Joint Chiefs from 1989 to 1993, he oversaw 27 crises, including the Panama intervention and Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War.

These days, the former soldier is involved in America's Promise -- The Alliance for Youth, a national crusade to improve the lives of the nation's youth.

Powell also is helping to raise funds for the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial in Washington, D.C., and for the construction of an education center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.