Farmers presents Crowley and Colmes

Monica Crowley and Alan Colmes

FOX News Channel contributors Monica Crowley and Alan Colmes disagree on almost every political issue. Representing opposite ends of the political spectrum, the duo visited the Southern Arkansas University campus as the featured speakers for the 6th annual Farmers Bank and Trust Distinguished Speaker Series on Monday, Oct. 18.

The event raised over $20,000 to benefit the scholarship endowment of the Southern Arkansas University Foundation. To date, the Farmers Bank and Trust Distinguished Speaker Series has raised more than $145,000 for scholarships.

Crowley and Colmes regularly square off on various hot button issues during appearances on FOX News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” but one thing that takes their debate to the next level is the fact that they are brother and sister-in-law. The pair’s presentation at SAU was be titled “All disagreements are relative: a conversation with Crowley and Colmes.”

Crowley is a panelist on the legendary McLaughlin Group, which she joined in 2007. She is a longtime FOX News political and foreign affairs analyst, having joined the network at its inception in 1996. Her intelligent, original, and witty analysis attracted radio programmers, and she launched her radio career with a show on the number one talk station in the nation, 77 WABC in New York, in 2002. The show now airs on over 130 stations.

Crowley holds two masters degrees and a Ph.D. in international affairs from Columbia University and worked as a foreign policy assistant to former President Richard Nixon from 1990 until his death in 1994.

After a string of successful radio shows in New York, Colmes gained a reputation as a hard-hitting liberal known for his electric commentary on the American agenda. He joined FOX News Channel in 1996 and co-hosted “Hannity and Colmes” for more than 12 years. That program became the No. 2 show in all of cable news, helping FOX achieve prime time dominance. His radio show is now syndicated by FOX News and heard on  satellite radio across the country.

“We strive each year to provide a program that is both entertaining and informative and that also presents current issues of national significance,” said Bob Burns, chairman and CEO of Farmers Bank and Trust.

The Farmers Bank and Trust Distinguished Speaker Series was established in 2005 to benefit students of Southern Arkansas University through a scholarship endowment with the Southern Arkansas University Foundation. In fulfilling its mission, the series brings speakers of national and international prominence to the SAU campus, providing a memorable experience and enhancing the visibility of the University. Former speakers have included Steve Ford, Oliver North, Michael Reagan, James Carville, and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

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