A humorous chat by one of America's most famous straight men and a slide lecture on the development of tourism on Australia's Gold Coast will open the fall 1999 University Forum lecture series at UNLV.

Entertainer Dick Smothers of the Smothers Brothers comic duo will recount various moments in his life in his presentation "Who Did Mom Really Like Best?" beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14 in the Classroom Building Complex, Room A-106. Because seating is limited, tickets will be required. The tickets, which are free, will be available at the Performing Arts Center box office at Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall beginning Sept. 7.

Smothers will talk about his many endeavors with his brother, Tom, such as their hit television show, as well as his own life as a professional race car driver and wine maker.

On Sept. 20, David Weaver, a senior lecturer in the School of Tourism and Hotel Management at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, will discuss "Australia's Gold Coast and its Hinterland: Conflicting or Complementary Paradigms of Tourism Development?"

The Gold Coast is a rapidly growing region of Australia that includes the East Coast and the area just south of the Great Barrier Reef. It is characterized by two distinct and contrasting models of tourism with a high density beach resort along the coast and an ecotourism setting in the rainforests and mountains in the near interior.

Weaver will share evidence that previously held beliefs regarding the incompatibility of ecology and tourism may not be accurate in this region. He will provide information indicating the many opportunities for their integration and synergy.

The slide lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History.

All University Forum lectures are free and open to the public.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and underwritten by the UNLV Foundation.

For additional information on the series, call 895-3401.