UCM Oppenheimer Symposium Series presents speaker, actor Sean Astin

The University of Central Missouri (UCM) campus, Warrensburg and surrounding communities are invited to hear from renowned actor and keynote speaker Sean Astin at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12, in the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center.

Known for his roles in “The Lord of the Rings,” “Stranger Things,” “Rudy” and “The Goonies,” Astin will share experiences from his career, as well as topics close to his heart, such as mental health awareness and civic engagement.

 

The event is free and open to the public. Seating will be open; however, registration is requested to best serve the community. Please visit ucmfoundation.org/seanastin to register by April 5.

 

Son of Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke and acclaimed actor John Astin, Sean Astin has a film, television and stage career spanning four decades. 

Astin is an American actor, director, voice artist and producer best known for his roles as Samwise Gamgee in the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Mikey Walsh in “The Goonies,” the title character in “Rudy” and Bob Newby in Netflix’s hit series, “Stranger Things.” He is also the author of “There and Back Again: An Actor’s Tale,” a New York Times best-selling memoir of his film career, which he co-wrote with Joe Layden.

Along with the many awards bestowed upon Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy, Astin received nominations for his performance. He took home the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor and awards from the Las Vegas Film Critics Society, the Seattle Film Critics Society, the Utah Film Critics Association and the Phoenix Film Critics Society. 

Since “The Lord of the Rings,” Astin has served on the board of several nonprofit organizations,  including the National Center for Family Literacy. He is a vocal advocate for literacy, mental health awareness, bipolar disorder awareness, civic engagement and other issues.

Astin’s keynote presentation is funded through the Oppenheimer Symposium Series Endowment, which was established in 1983 with a philanthropic gift to the UCM Alumni Foundation. Its purpose is to promote and support liberal arts education, with an emphasis on innovative programmatic efforts.

Born in 1890 in St. Joseph, Missouri, Julius J. Oppenheimer attended Central Missouri in 1909. He later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Ph.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

In 1919, he served as a high school principal in Windsor, Missouri, before becoming dean of the faculty at Stephens College in 1920. In 1930, he accepted a position as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Louisville, where he served until 1957.

Oppenheimer also taught during the summers at the universities of Missouri, Minnesota, Idaho and Ohio State. He dedicated his career to the study and advancement of education, serving as specialist in higher education with the High Commissioner’s Office, U.S. Department of State in Frankfurt, Germany, from 1951 to 1952. He also served on the board of trustees of the Lincoln Foundation of Kentucky and was an honorary Kentucky Colonel. 

Oppenheimer held a special place in his heart for UCM. His generosity has made it possible for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to enjoy outstanding educational experiences for decades, including hearing from a stellar list of international dignitaries, authors and scholars.

Ahead of Astin’s visit to campus, the Elliott Student Union Cinema will show “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy: “The Fellowship of the Ring” on April 3, “The Two Towers” on April 4 and “The Return Of The King” on April 5, all starting at 6 p.m.

For more information, please contact events@ucmo.edu or visit ucmfoundation.org/seanastin.