Cox present's his talk "We're Better Off Than We Think"

W. Michael Cox, economist, commentator and author of "Myths of Rich and Poor," will speak at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 in the Mitchell Auditorium on The College of St. Scholastica campus. The public is welcome to the speech and a reception that follows. There is no charge for the event.

Cox's talk, "We're Better Off Than We Think," is the second in the College's Alworth Center for the Study of Peace and Justice Lecture Series for 2009-2010. The series, entitled "The Future of Capitalism," focuses on the systemic and moral foundation of our economic and financial system.

Cox is director of the O'Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom at Southern Methodist University. The Center was established at the university in 2008 to study the impact of competitive market forces on freedom and prosperity in the global economy.

Cox served as senior vice president and chief economist at the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas before accepting his current position. While working at the Federal Reserve, he advised the bank president on monetary and other economic policy. During his time at the Fed, he contributed to a number of public policy issues, and his research is frequently designated as required reading for Congress.

Cox is widely published in the nation's top academic journals. His book, "Myths of Rich and Poor," champions capitalism and has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Cox is known for his ability to make plain sense out of difficult economic issues. He is a frequent guest on national radio, television and Internet programs, including ABC's John Stossel program, CNN, Voice of America and National Public Radio.

Cox is past president of the Association of Private Enterprise Education, a CATO Institute Adjunct Scholar, senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, and senior fellow at the Dallas Fed's Globalization and Monetary Policy Institute.

He has taught economics for more than 30 years at a number of universities. He received his undergraduate degree in business and economics from Hendrix College and his Ph.D. in economics from Tulane University.

The final lectures in the series will be:

"The Wealth of Communities" with Bill McKibben, author of "Deep Economy."
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, Mitchell Auditorium

The College of St. Scholastica is regularly recognized as one of the finest colleges in the Midwest. The 2010 "America's Best Colleges" survey by U.S. News & World Report magazine ranks St. Scholastica in the top tier of Midwestern universities. The Washington Post has rated St. Scholastica as one of the nation's 100 "hidden gems" among U.S. colleges and universities.