Former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard will come to campus to give a lecture on the importance of public relations in his political career.

Blanchard will talk to communication students and others interested in public relations at 4 p.m. March 29 in the Union’s Gold Rooms as part of the Edward Zabrusky Public Relations Lecture Series.

The series is named for Zabrusky, a former MSU news bureau chief who worked in public relations for more than 40 years.

Zabrusky worked with eight MSU presidents, including John Hannah and M. Peter McPherson, until he retired in 1994. He has taken an active role in helping public relations professionals start careers.

The presentation, titled “Public Relations and Public Office,” is free and open to the public and is intended to bring attention to the public relations concentration offered by the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

Russ White, an MSU spokesman, said he hopes Blanchard will tell students the importance of public relations in political service.

“He is a lecturer who brings home the world of public relations,” White said.

White said it is a good opportunity for students to learn experiences they can’t get from textbooks.

“He is a prominent Spartan. He is close to the dean and the school, so he is a natural fit,” he said.

The former governor earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from MSU.

Blanchard served as Michigan’s governor from 1983 to 1990 and is currently campaigning for the position again. He was a U.S. ambassador to Canada from 1993 to 1996, and ran former Vice President Al Gore’s presidential campaign in Michigan last year.

Last year, Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer spoke in the first lecture of the series, which is expected to become an annual event.