ITHACA, N.Y. -- Douglas Wilder, the former governor of Virginia and a national political figure, will give a lecture at Cornell University at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, in Uris Hall Auditorium. The lecture, titled "Social and Political Challenges in the '90s," is free and open to the public.

On Jan. 13, 1990, Wilder achieved a milestone when he was sworn in as the first elected African-American governor in U.S. history. Notably, his election occurred in a state that was once a cornerstone of the Confederacy and that had once denied Wilder admission to its law schools.

In 1951, Wilder graduated from Virginia Union University, Richmond, with a B.S. degree in chemistry. Shortly after graduating, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and during the Korean War he received the Bronze Star for heroism. After the war, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill to study law but had to leave the state because Virginia barred blacks from its law schools at that time. He earned his law degree at Howard University Law School.

Wilder later became a 20-year veteran of Virginia politics, serving as a state senator and as lieutenant governor. During his first year as governor, the shaky national economy and reduced defense spending helped throw Virginia into its worst budget crisis since World War II. Faced with a projected tax shortfall of $1.4 billion, the governor implemented a successful program for reduced spending.

In 1992, Wilder was a Democratic candidate for the presidential nomination. His gubernatorial term expired in 1992.

Since leaving office, Wilder has remained involved in current events by hosting a morning radio talk show in Richmond, Va., and also hosting "The Doug Wilder Show," a weekly, hourlong television program that airs on a Washington-area cable station.

Wilder's appearance is sponsored by the Cornell University Program Board, a unit of the Office of the Dean of Students.