CONTRIBUTED

From the Rio Grande, around the Charlotte Motor Speedway and on the court at East Carolina’s Minges Coliseum, the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series celebrates its 25th year with five stimulating talks.

Terry Holland, athletic director of East Carolina University, and Jim Dodson, The Pilot’s Sunday essayist and editor of PineStraw and O.Henry magazines, will have “A Conversation on Collegiate Athletics” on Sept. 28.

Holland played basketball at Davidson under legendary coach Lefty Driesell and later coached at his alma mater. His coaching career continued at the University of Virginia, where he was ACC basketball coach of the year.

Dodson has received numerous journalistic awards. His best-sellers include “A Golfer’s Life” (with Arnold Palmer), “Ben Hogan — An American Life” and “A Son of the Game.”

“Getting Immigration Right” will be the topic of speakers David Coates and Peter Siavelis on Oct. 20. Coates is the Worrell Chair in Anglo-American studies at Wake Forest University. Siavelis is associate professor and director of the Latin American and Latino Studies Program at Wake Forest.

H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler Jr., the past president of Charlotte Motor Speedway, will discuss “The History of NASCAR in North Carolina” on Nov. 15. Wheeler is the most decorated promoter in NASCAR auto racing, helping to transform the speedway into one of the world’s leading sports facilities.

Doris Buffett, philanthropist, sister of financier Warren Buffett and subject of “Giving It All Away” by Michael Zitz, will speak March 8. Buffett’s Sunshine Lady Foundation has given more than $100 million to businesses, medicine, research and the arts.

Joe and Terry Graedon, writers of the syndicated newspaper column and hosts of National Public Radio’s “The People’s Pharmacy,” will speak on “Protecting Yourself from Medical Mistakes” on April 12. The Graedons are members of the N.C. Patient Consortium of Natural Medicine and Public Health.

All Ruth Pauley lectures will be in Owens Auditorium on the Sandhills Community College campus in Pinehurst. Programs begin at 7:30 p.m. and are open to the public. Lectures are free, and no tickets are required.

The Ruth Pauley Lecture Series is sponsored by Sandhills Community College, the Moore County League of Women Voters, the Sandhills Branch of the American Association of University Women and the Moore County school system. Past speakers have included Sandra Day O’Connor, Newt Gingrich, George McGovern, Frank Deford and Jack Hanna.

Anyone needing additional information can call (910) 245-3132.