Amanda Ayers
News Editor
The Student Lectureship Committee has announced that it will host Frank Abagnale, author of the autobiography “Catch Me If You Can,” on Monday, March 19 at 7 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts. The talk is free and open to the public.
Abagnale began as one of the most famous con men alive, posing as an airline pilot, attorney, college professor and pediatrician, as well as cashing in $2.5 million in fraudulent checks. He is now respected around the world as one of the best authorities on forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. He has worked with and advised hundreds of financial institutions and government agencies around the world for the last 35 years.
“The lectureship committee is really excited to be bringing Frank Abagnale this semester. He has been on our ‘short list’ for as long as I have been a part of the committee and has always generated great buzz around campus. I think what makes Frank so appealing is the movie-like nature of his life,” said Mike Kurban ’12, head of the Student Lectureship Committee.
“Catch Me If You Can” was made into a film in 2002. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Abagnale has also written numerous other articles and books such as “The Art of the Steal,” “The Real U Guide to Identity Theft” and “Stealing Your Life.”
“It’s easy to think of his story as something created in some Hollywood studio, especially because many of us are familiar with it because of ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ but it is all the more exciting to think that everything that happened in the movie–the deception and conning and secret lives–were all a part of his real life,” Kurban said. “I’m excited to hear about his experiences and also how he transformed from a con artist to one of the most respected security consultants with the FBI.”