The George W. Lehr Memorial Speakers Chair was established in 1988 as part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Missouri Boys State program. The Lehr Chair was created to honor the late Missouri State Auditor George W. Lehr, who was a Boys State participant in his youth and a tireless supporter of Missouri Boys State during his public life. The Lehr Chair was designed to assist the Boys State program in bringing the finest names in public service to the yearly Boys State session to interact with its participants.

2007 Gen. Wesley T. Clark
Retired U.S. Army Four-Star General and former Presidential Candidate

2006 John Ashcroft
Former U.S. Attorney General and Missouri State Governor

2005 Paul Begala
CNN Political Commentator and Author

2004 J.C. Watts
Former U.S. Representative and College Football Star

2003 Mike Peters
Syndicated Political Cartoonist and Creator of Mother Goose and Grimm comic strip.

2002 Bill Bradley
Former Presidential Candidate and Former U.S. Senator

2001 William S. Cohen
Former Secretary of Defense

2000 Lisa Myers
National Correspondent for NBC News - Washington

1999 Rev. Emmanuel Cleaver
Minister and Former Mayor of Kansas City

1998 David R. Gergen
Former U.S. Presidential Advisor

1997 William J. Perry
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense

1996 Lamar Alexander
Former Presidential Candidate and Former U.S. Secretary of Education

1995 Dr. Robert M. Gates
Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

1994 Paul E. Tsongas
Former Presidential Candidate and Senator from Massachusetts

1993 Edward D. “Chip” Robertson
Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice

1992 Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond
Former MO Attorney General, Governor and current senior U.S. Senator

1991 Thomas DeFrank
Author and White House Correspondent for Newsweek Magazine

1990 Robert F. Hyland
Corporate Vice-President CBS Radio, St. Louis

1989 William Proxmire
Former U. S. Senator from Wisconsin