Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 23, 1993 TAG: 9303230319
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
EX-HOSTAGE TO SPEAK AT TECH
Thomas Sutherland, who was kidnapped in Lebanon and held hostage by the Islamic Jihad for almost 6 1/2 years, will speak at Virginia Tech's Burruss Auditorium on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.The talk is free and open to the public.
Sutherland, the second longest held of the Western hostages, will talk about his captivity, the lessons he learned as a hostage and how those lessons apply to all of us. For example, he talks about why Westerners were kidnapped in Lebanon in the 1980s, why they were set free, and what can be learned from his experience that will enable U.S. administrations to deal consistently and effectively with any future hostage crises.
He also will discuss the risks of and the need for Americans to travel to danger spots on the globe and the implications of the tendency toward isolationism in the United States, just when the nation has emerged as the only remaining superpower.
At the time of his capture in June 1985, Sutherland was dean of the faculty of agricultural and food sciences at the American University of Beirut.
He was held captive at various locations in Lebanon for 2,354 days.
He was released on Nov. 18, 1991, along with Terry Waite.
A native of Scotland, Sutherland came to the United States to study animal science at Iowa State University, where he learned his masters and doctorate. He then moved to Colorado State University, serving on its faculty for 25 years and earning a number of awards for his outstanding teaching.
Sutherland's visit to Tech is sponsored by the deans offices of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, the office of the president, the Student Activities Office and the Graduate Student Assembly.