Tom Harkin served as a United States Senator from Iowa from 1985 to 2015. He graduated from Iowa State University and The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. He also served in the U.S. Navy as an active-duty jet pilot.

Harkin won a race for U.S. Senate in 1984 and was an early frontrunner for his party’s presidential nomination in 1992 before dropping out in support of eventual winner Bill Clinton. At the end of his time in the senate, he served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

The Octagon

The Octagon at Life University was created to foster dialogue and exchange on important social, political and conceptual issues based on Life University’s Eight Core Proficiencies. The Octagon creates an environment where questions and issues from every avenue of life can be embraced, discussed, debated and acted upon. As with most things in life it is not constrained by a lack of desire or need but only by limited human and financial resources. It is the intention of the University’s president, Dr. Guy Riekeman, for the Octagon to tackle important and controversial matters that will have long range impact and the potential for application in other fields. The Octagon does not seek to be reckless in its work but it does seek to be fearless in its charge, prepared to confront matters that frustrate society in a meaningful way. The Octagon can best be described as a think tank to promote world changing discussion related to healthcare and the human condition.