Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN, will speak Thursday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. in the Nott Memorial.
A lifelong entrepreneur and sports fan, Rasmussen will discuss how he and his son, Scott, founded the world's first 24-hour TV network. He will also sign copies of his 2010 book, Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN. The talk is free and open to the public.
ESPN began televising on Sept. 7, 1979, forever changing the face of television sports.
In 1994 Sports Illustrated listed Rasmussen as one of 40 individuals who had the greatest impact on the world of sports over the previous 40 years.
"As founder of ESPN, I saw a company and an entire industry explode on the American television scene with breathtaking speed," Rasmussen told the magazine. "Its impact forever changed the way Americans watch television."
Rasmussen was recently named Executive in Residence at The Robert C. McDermond Center for Management and Entrepreneurship at DePauw University, where he graduated in 1954 with a degree in economics.
The talk is sponsored by the student-run Speakers Forum.