March 24, 1986 - Faye Wattleton, national president of Planned Parenthood and pro-choice advocate, and John Willke, national president of "Right to Life" and leader of the pro-life movement debate the subject of abortion. Debaters were joined by St. Olaf seniors Erin Rasmussen and Cathryn Abresch. Moderator of the debate was Dr. Joan Gunderson, history professor at St. Olaf College in Northfield, where the debate took place.
March 26, 1986 - Dr. Kenneth Blanchard, author and chairman of the board of Blanchard Training and Development Inc, speaking at Minnesota Meeting in Bloomington. Blanchard addresses how to motivate people. He critiques social programs and promotes the idea of self-motivation. Blanchard is best known for the book, "The One Minute Manager", which he co-authored with Spencer Johnson. Minnesota Meeting is a non-profit corporation which hosts a wide range of public speakers. It is managed by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
April 1, 1986 - Sandra Batie, professor of agricultural economics at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, speaking at a Twin Cites conference on the rural economic crisis. Batie addressed agriculture and the environment. Batie has consulted about agriculture's effects on the environment to the USDA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Conservation Foundation, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Army Corps of Engineers.
April 1, 1986 - William Norris, retired chairman of Control Data Corporation, speaking at the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce about reviving the rural economy. Norris’s address was titled "Comprehensive Rural Economic Development and Job Creation in Minnesota." Norris called on his colleagues in the business community to pitch in and help revive the rural economy. Norris said the family farm was a viable economic unit which had suffered from bad farm policy and misapplied technology, but that the family farm could survive if the business and public sector cooperated on coming up with ideas.
April 8, 1986 - MPR’s Stephen Smith reports that Minnesota Stata Auditor Arne Carlson is dropping out of gubernatorial race. Issues raising money and a crowded field of possible candidates, including Dave Jennings, played into Carlson’s decision.
April 11, 1986 - MPR Journal’s Gary Eichten catches up with MPR reporter Mike Mulcahy on the status at Austin Hormel plant after a day of brief violence between strikers and police. A demonstration blocking the road to plant devolved into a conflict between strikers, workers, and local police.
April 24, 1986 - Norman J. Ornstein, author and American political scientist, speaking at the College of Saint Thomas. Ornstein’s address was on the Reagan presidency. After speech, Ornstein answered audience questions.
May 1, 1986 - Poet, author and farmer Wendell Berry speaks at the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph. The speech is entitled, "In Defense of the Family Farm."
May 8, 1986 - The late John Ciardi delivers an address called "Why Read?" and reads some of his poetry: The Collectors; The Glory; Happiness; For Myra, John L. and Benn; Mutterings; Obsolescence; Habitat; Perversity.
May 12, 1986 - Father Robert Drinan, a lawyer, author and former congressman who has long been active in the anti-nuclear movement, gave an address in Minneapolis in honor of World Law Day. Speech was titled "Possibilities for Peace in the Nuclear Age." Father Drinan’s appearance was co-sponsored by the World Federalist Association of Minnesota, the Lawyers Alliance for Nuclear Arms Control and the United Nations Association of Minnesota. He was introduced by Minneapolis Mayor Don Fraser.