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 The George W. Lehr Memorial Speakers Chair was established in 1988 as part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Missouri Boys State program. The Lehr Chair was created to honor the late Missouri State Auditor George W. Lehr, who was a Boys State participant in his youth and a tireless supporter of Missouri Boys State during his public life.
The Lehr Chair was designed to assist the Boys State program in bringing the finest names in public service to the yearly Boys State session to interact with its participants.
2024 Michael Steele
Former RNC Chairman, Lt. Gov of Maryland, MSNBC Political Analyst
2023 Bob Costas
Emmy-winning Sportscaster and CNN Contributor
2022 Claire McCaskill
Former US Senator
2021 Julian Castro
Former Presidential Candidate and US Secretary of HUD
2020 No MBS Session
2019 Margaret Brennan
Journalist; Moderator of CBS News’ Face the Nation
2018 Juan Williams
Fox News political analyst
2017 John Brennan
Former CIA Director
2016 Gov. Jay Nixon
Missouri State Governor (2009-2017)
2015 Karl Rove
Former Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush.
2014 David Axelrod
Former Senior advisor to President Barack Obama
2013 Bob Woodward
One of America’s preeminent investigative reporters and non-fiction authors.
2012 James Carville
Media personality and political icon.
2011 John Danforth
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former Missouri Senator
2010 John Bolton
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
2009 Richard Armitage
Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
2008 Mike Huckabee
Former Arkansas
Governor and Presidental candidate
2007 Gen. Wesley T. Clark
Retired U.S. Army Four-Star General and former Presidential Candidate
2006 John Ashcroft
Former U.S. Attorney General and Missouri State Governor
2005 Paul Begala
CNN Political Commentator and Author
2004 J.C. Watts
Former U.S. Representative and College Football Star
2003 Mike Peters
Syndicated Political Cartoonist and Creator of Mother Goose and Grimm comic strip.
2002 Bill Bradley
Former Presidential Candidate and Former U.S. Senator
2001 William S. Cohen
Former Secretary of Defense
2000 Lisa Myers
National Correspondent for NBC News - Washington
1999 Rev. Emmanuel Cleaver
Minister and Former Mayor of Kansas City
1998 David R. Gergen
Former U.S. Presidential Advisor
1997 William J. Perry
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense
1996 Lamar Alexander
Former Presidential Candidate and Former U.S. Secretary of Education
1995 Dr. Robert M. Gates
Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
1994 Paul E. Tsongas
Former Presidential Candidate and Senator from Massachusetts
1993 Edward D. “Chip” Robertson
Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice
1992 Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond
Former MO Attorney General, Governor and current senior U.S. Senator
1991 Thomas DeFrank
Author and White House Correspondent for Newsweek Magazine
1990 Robert F. Hyland
Corporate Vice-President CBS Radio, St. Louis
1989 William Proxmire
Former U. S. Senator from Wisconsin
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