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DILLON LECTURE SERIES

Dillon Lecture Series

Since 1982, the Dillon Lecture Series has provided distinguished and notable speakers that many in Hutchinson, Kansas, and surrounding communities might not have the opportunity to experience. 

From poets, politicians, and space scientists to American heroes, each is chosen by the Dillon Lecture Committee by following the teachings of Chinese philosopher Kuan-Tzam - “learning is the key to enlightenment” - to educate and inspire audiences across a wide age span.

Lectures are held in the Hutchinson Sports Arena beginning at 10:30 a.m. and last one hour unless otherwise noted.

TICKETS: General admission tickets are $10. Students and school groups are admitted free of charge with a school ID. Tickets are available online (www.hutchcc.edu/dls) or at the Sports Arena on the day of the lecture. 

Larry Hatteberg - February 24, 2026

Award Winning Kansas Journalist

For 51 years, Larry Hatteberg brought a special kind of television to Kansas. His constant search for ordinary people, whose stories illuminate larger issues, puts him in a position to develop a personal relationship with Kansas viewers.

His national award-winning “Hatteberg’s People” series was the longest-running television feature in Kansas. Nearly two thousand Kansans have been profiled. The series has taken Larry to 17 foreign countries in search of Kansas People.

Larry’s television career began at KAKE in 1963 when he started as a part-time film lab technician. He’s been a photographer, chief photographer, assistant news director, executive news director and was prime-time co-anchor of KAKE News at Five and 10 p.m. with co-anchor Susan Peters.

Larry is a nationally known teacher of photojournalism and has consulted with over 40 television stations across the United States. He has also worked with the Defense Department in the teaching of military photojournalists and combat camera crews in the art of video storytelling.

Tickets

Taryn Southern

Taryn Southern - April 21, 2026

Award-winning Storyteller, Artist, and Creative Technologist

Taryn Southern is an award-winning storyteller, speaker, and creative technologist whose works explore the intersection of emerging technology and human potential. As an early YouTuber with more than 750+ million views, Taryn has more than two decades of experience in story and brand strategy for digital audiences. Her groundbreaking AI experiments include composing the world’s first AI pop album in 2017, cloning herself in 2020, and directing a Tribeca Film Festival documentary on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). At one of the world’s leading implantable neurotechnology companies, Taryn oversaw marketing and communications for two successful funding rounds totaling over $230M+.

Tickets

Liz Murray

Liz Murray - October 13, 2026

Inspirational Speaker and BestSelling Author

From homeless to Harvard...it is an unlikely turn of events. Liz Murray’s life is a triumph over adversity and a stunning example of the importance of dreaming big. Murray was raised in the Bronx by two loving but drug-addicted parents. She grew up in poverty, often without enough food, chronically absent from school, and most of all, struggling to connect her education to a viable future.

By age 15, Murray’s mom had died, and she was homeless—living on the streets, riding the subway all night, and eating from dumpsters. Amidst this pain, Murray always imagined her life could be much better than it was. “I started to grasp the value of the lessons learned while living on the streets. I knew after overcoming those daily obstacles that next to nothing could hold me down.” Determined to take charge of her life, and with the support of an upstairs neighbor and trusted family friend named Arthur,

Murray finished high school in just two years and was awarded a full scholarship to Harvard University, all while camping out in New York City parks and subway stations. Murray’s story is exhilarating and inspirational. Her delivery is innocently honest, as she takes audiences on a very personal journey where she achieves the improbable. Today, Murray is a passionate advocate for underserved youth.

Murray graduated from Harvard in 2009 and received her Master's in Psychology of Education at Columbia University. She is passionate about speaking on the importance of personal motivation, transforming problems into opportunities, and what it takes to make a difference in people’s lives.

Tickets

Committee

Richard Shank, Chair  
Uriah Bueller – Susan Buttram – Butch Dillon  
Tammy Dillon – Kathy Morris – Dane Power  
Carolyn Dillon, in memoriam  
Dr. Tricia Paramore, President, HutchCC
 

Chairperson, HutchCC Board of Trustees
Hutchinson National Faculty Association
President, Student Gov. Association
Denny Stoecklein, HutchCC Marketing 
Becky Rogers, DLS Coordinator/HutchCC Pres. Admin Asst.

Contact Information
BECKY ROGERS
rogersb@hutchcc.edu
620-665-3505
1-888-GO-HUTCH