Special Event Marks the Appointment of Dr. William Potter to World's First Nonproliferation Endowed Chair

On October 23, 2007, the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) celebrated the endowment of the world's first professorship in nonproliferation studies. Dr. William C. Potter, founding director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), has been appointed to the endowed chair, which is named in honor of Senator Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar--nonproliferation pioneers who authored path-breaking legislation to assist the post-Soviet states in securing and destroying massive stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. In a public ceremony marking the occasion, Dr. Potter moderated a discussion with Senator Nunn on "Reducing Global Nuclear and Biological Threats."

In commemoration of the October 23rd event in Monterey, Representative Sam Farr (D-CA) entered a special tribute to Dr. Potter and Senators Nunn and Lugar into the official Congressional Record. Senator Lugar also entered a statement into the Congressional Record honoring Dr. Potter.

In addition to the $2.5 million raised for the first Nunn-Lugar Professorship, the Monterey Institute seeks to endow a second Nunn-Lugar chair for a policy practitioner to be based in the CNS Washinton office.