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Many of the Kennedy Library Forums are also available in audio format from WBUR 90.9 FM and in video format from the WGBH Forum Network and NECN.  Transcripts are available by clicking on the link for transcripts. 

If you'd like to search for a forum by subject, visit the Forum Subject Index.

 
David Petraeus
 
 

A Conversation with General David Petraeus

Friday, August 20, 2010 5:30-7:00 PM

This forum was cancelled due to General Petraeus new assignment in Afghanistan.

 
Apollo XI
 
 

Moon Beat

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 5:30-7:30 PM

Moon Beat is an award-winning documentary examining America’s efforts to go to the moon --beginning with President Kennedy’s famous 1961 speech and ending with the successful 1969 landing of Apollo XI -- from the perspective of the journalists who covered the space race.  Filmmaker Kevin Stirling answered questions following the screening.

 
Helen Thomas
 
 

Thank you, Mr. President: Helen Thomas and the White House --A Screening and Discussion

Thursday, July 15, 2010 5:00-6:30 PM

This forum was cancelled.  

 
Alan BrinkleyJill Lepore and Alan Brinkley
 
Jill LeporeJill Lepore
 

TIME Magazine, Henry Luce, and the American Century

Monday, June 14, 2010 5:30-7:00 PM

Alan Brinkley, Professor of History at Columbia University, discussed his new biography of TIME founder, Henry Luce, with New Yorker staff writer and Professor of History at Harvard University, Jill Lepore.

full video »    

 
Jonathan AlterEleanor Clift and Jonathan Alter
 
Eleanor CliftEleanor Clift and Jonathan Alter
 

President Obama:  Year One

Tuesday, June 1, 2010 5:30-7:00 PM

Jonathan Alter, Senior Editor and Columnist for Newsweek, discussed his new book, The Promise:  President Obama, Year One with his Newsweek colleague, Eleanor Clift.

full video »    

 
Keith LockhartPeter Boyer
 
 

The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 5:00-6:30 PM

Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart was joined by composer Peter Boyer to discuss their new composition honoring John, Robert and Edward Kennedy.  Radio/Internet host Christopher Lydon moderated.

 
David Broder, Charlie Peters, Tom OliphantTed Sorensen
 
David BroderTom Oliphant and Dick Donahue
 

Kennedy v. Humphrey:  The 50th Anniversary of the West Virginia Democratic Primary

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 5:30-7:00 PM

On the 50th anniversary of the West Virginia Democratic Primary, Kennedy aides Richard Donahue, Charlie Peters and Ted Sorensen, and veteran journalist David Broder shared their memories of the 1960 campaign with Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Tom Oliphant. 

full video »    

 
Charles Bolden and Ed CrawleyEd Crawley
 
Charles Bolden and Ed CrawleyCharles Bolden
 

The Future of Space Flight

Monday, May 10, 2010 5:30-7:00 PM

Charles Bolden, the newly appointed Administrator of NASA, discussed the challenges facing the Space Program and President Obama's new priorities during these difficult economic times with MIT Professor of Aeronautics, Astronautics and Engineering Systems, Edward Crawley.

 
Patrick HemingwayBrigid Pasulka
 
Elyssa EastDorothy Allison
 

PEN Hemingway Awards

Sunday, March 28, 2010 3:00-4:00 PM

Patrick Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway’s sole surviving son, and Dorothy Allison, National Book Award finalist, honored Brigid Pasulka for her first published work of fiction, A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True.  Of the three PEN Winship winners -- for fiction (Anne Sanow), poetry (Meg Kearney) and nonfiction -- the nonfiction winner, Elyssa East for Dogtown: Death and Enchantment in a New England Ghost Town, spoke.  The Kennedy Library is the major repository of Ernest Hemingway's works. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Ellen FitzpatrickEllen Fitzpatrick and Robin Young
 
Robin YoungEllen Fitzpatrick
 

Condolences from a Grieving Nation

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 5:30-7:00 PM

After reading thousands of letters sent to Jacqueline Kennedy following the President’s death, historian Ellen Fitzpatrick selected 250 to be published for the first time.  This collection reflects a cross-section of American life at this tragic moment in our nation’s history.  She discussed the book with Robin Young, host of WBUR’s Here and Now.

transcript »    

 
David MilibandKevin Cullen and David Miliband
 
Senator John KerryDavid Miliband and Senator John Kerry
 

Foreign Policy in a Perilous World

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 7:30-8:30 PM

Senator John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband discussed current foreign policy challenges including Iran, Afghanistan and the Middle East; climate change and energy security; and the world economy. Senator Kerry is chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. David Miliband studied in Boston as a John F. Kennedy Scholar.  Boston Globe reporter, Kevin Cullen, moderated.

transcript »    

 
Senator Christopher Dodd, Shirley Sagawa, Marian Wright Edelman, Mark GreenbergSenator Christopher Dodd, Shirley Sagawa, Marian Wright Edelman, Mark Greenberg, Christina Paxson
 
Senator Chris DoddMarian Wright Edelman
 

Ending Child Poverty:The Legacy of Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Sunday, March 7, 2010 2:00-3:30 PM

Senator Christopher Dodd; Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund; Shirley Sagawa, a former member of Senator Kennedy’s staff; Mark Greenberg, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy for the Department of Health & Human Services; and Christina Paxson, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School and Co-Editor of The Future of Children, paid tribute to Senator Kennedy’s commitment to improving the lives of children living in poverty.       

transcript »    

 
Paul KirkPaul Kirk and Tom Oliphant
 
Tom OliphantPaul Kirk
 

A Conversation with Senator Paul Kirk

Monday, March 1, 2010 5:30-7:00 PM

Senator Paul Kirk reflected on his long friendship with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, his experience in the United States Senate, and the state of our national politics.  Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Tom Oliphant, formerly of The Boston Globe, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Douglas Brinkley
 
 

Theodore Roosevelt:  The Naturalist President

Monday, February 15, 2010 2:00-3:30 PM

Historian Douglas Brinkley discussed his new book, The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America with Kathleen Dalton, Professor of History at Phillips Academy.

transcript »     full video »    

 
David McCulloughDavid McCullough
 
David McCulloughDavid McCullough
 

My Friend, the Senator, and Our Love of History

Thursday, January 28, 2010 6:00-7:00 PM

Historian David McCullough talked about Senator Kennedy’s life and their long and unique friendship.  

transcript »     full video »    

 
Kathleen Kennedy TownsendSarah-Ann Shaw, Margaret Marshall, Albertina Luthuli, Larry Shore
 
Larry ShoreMargaret Marshall and Albertina Luthuli
 

RFK In the Land of Apartheid: A Ripple of Hope

Thursday, January 21, 2010 5:30-7:30 PM

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the eldest child of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, introduced Margaret Marshall, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and RFK's student host while he was in South Africa, Albertina Luthuli, Chief Luthuli's daughter and a member of the South African Parliament, and filmmaker Larry Shore at the screening of a new documentary on Robert Kennedy's 1966 historic trip.  Veteran broadcast journalist Sarah-Ann Shaw moderated.  *Adam Walinsky, RFK's speechwriter, was not able to attend due to illness.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Reverend Joseph LoweryLiz Walker
 
Liz Walker and Rev LoweryReverend Joseph Lowery
 

A Conversation with Reverend Joseph Lowery

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 5:30-7:00 PM

Reverend Lowery, a pioneer of the civil rights movement who delivered the closing benediction at President Obama’s inauguration, shared memories of his legendary life and career with award-winning television host and journalist, Liz Walker.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Benjamin Jealous, Patricia Sullivan, Julian BondJulian Bond
 
Benjamin JealousBenjamin Jealous, Patricia Sullivan, Julian Bond
 

Civil Rights: Then and Now

Thursday, December 10, 2009 5:30-7:00 PM

On the 100th anniversary of the NAACP, CEO and President Benjamin Jealous, and Chairman Julian Bond reflected on past achievements and the challenges ahead for the organization.  Professor Patricia Sullivan, author of Lift Every Voice:  The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Vicki KennedyMike Barnicle, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Michael Beschloss, EJ Dionne
 
Doris Kearns GoodwinMike Barnicle
 

True Compass:  The Life of Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Thursday, December 3, 2009 6:00-7:30 PM

Victoria Reggie Kennedy introduced historians Michael Beschloss, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, who discussed Senator Kennedy's memoir, True Compass, his role in history and his legacy with political analyst, Mike Barnicle.Mrs. Kennedy signed copies of True Compass (which was on sale in our museum store) following the forum.This special forum was co-sponsored by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Tom Gjelten, Jorge Dominguez, Adriana Bosch, Carlos SaladrigasAdriana Bosch
 
Carlos SaladrigasJorge Dominguez and Adriana Bosch
 

The Future of Cuba

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 5:30-7:00 PM

Jorge Dominguez, Professor of Latin American Politics at Harvard University; Adriana Bosch, writer and director of the PBS documentary Fidel Castro; and Carlos Saladrigas, co-chair of the Miami based Cuban Study Group, talked about the history of Cuba-U.S. relations and what lies ahead. Tom Gjelten, NPR correspondent and author of Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Callie Crossley and Lynn SweetRichard Wolffe
 
Callie Crossley Richard Wolffe, Callie Crossley, Lynn Sweet
 

Covering Obama

Monday, November 2, 2009 5:30-7:00 PM

Journalists Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker; Lynn Sweet Washington Bureau Chief for the Chicago Sun-Times and columnist for Politics Daily; and, Richard Wolffe of Newsweek and author of Renegade: The Making of a President, analyzed the media's coverage of President Obama's first year in office.  Commentator Callie Crossley of WGBH's Beat the Press moderated. *Ryan Lizza was unable to participate due to illness.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Michael Sandel
 
 

A Conversation about Justice with Michael Sandel

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 5:30-7:00 PM

Professor Michael Sandel discusses his new book, Justice: What's the Right Thing To Do? (based on his legendary and influential Harvard course), with Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Charlie Rose, Didi Pei, Carter WisemanCharlie Rose
 
Janet Adams Strong, Sandi Pei, Charlie Rose, Didi Pei, Carter WisemanI.M. Pei
 

A Tribute to I.M. Pei

Sunday, October 18, 2009 1:30-3:00 PM

To mark the 30th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the Kennedy Library hosted a tribute to its architect and visionary, I.M. Pei.  Family, colleagues and critics reflected on his extraordinary career with PBS host, Charlie Rose.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Wilson Miscamble, Richard Rhodes, Jennet ConantRichard Rhodes and Jennet Conant
 
Wiilson MiscambleWilson Miscamble and Richard Rhodes
 

Presidency in the Nuclear Age:  The Race to Build the Bomb and the Decision to Use It. 

Monday, October 12, 2009 9:00-10:30 AM

President George H.W. Bush made opening remarks (via video) at this one-day conference – sponsored by the nation’s 13 Presidential Libraries – that examined how the Presidency and U.S. foreign policy have been reshaped by the advent, use and spread of nuclear weapons.  The first panel, The Race to Build the Bomb and the Decision to Use It, featured Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb; Wilson D. Miscamble, Professor of History and University of Notre Dame; and Jennet Conant, author of 109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos.

transcript »    

 
Graham AllisonTed Sorensen, Carl Kaysen, Tim Naftali
 
Carl KaysenTed Sorensen
 

Presidency in the Nuclear Age:  Cuban Missile Crisis and the First Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Monday, October 12, 2009 10:45 AM-12:00 PM

The second panel, Cuban Missile Crisis and the First Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, featured Ted Sorensen, Special Counsel to President Kennedy; Carl Kaysen, Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs to President Kennedy; Graham Allison, Professor of Government at Harvard University; and moderated by Tim Naftali, Director, Richard Nixon Presidential Library.

transcript »    

 
Caroline KennedyNicholson Thompson, Kenneth Adelman, Marvin Kalb
 
Thomas Graham, Jr. and Richard RhodesNicholson Thompson, Kenneth Adelman, Marvin Kalb
 

Presidency in the Nuclear Age: The Cold War and the Nuclear Arms Race

Monday, October 12, 2009 1:00-2:30 PM

Caroline Kennedy introduced an address by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (via video), which was followed by the third panel, The Cold War and the Nuclear Arms Race, featuring Kenneth Adelman, Director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency in the Reagan Administration; Thomas Graham, Jr., Special Representative of the President for Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament in the Clinton Administration; Richard Rhodes, author of Arsenals of Folly; The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race; Nicholas Thompson, author of The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan and the History of the Cold War; and moderated by Marvin Kalb, veteran journalist and author.

transcript »    

 
Graham Allison, Tom GjeltenNicholas Burns
 
Stephen BosworthNicholas Burns, Leslie Gelb
 

Presidency in the Nuclear Age:  Nuclear Weapons, Terrorism and the Presidency

Monday, October 12, 2009 2:45-4:00 PM

Following an address by President Bill Clinton (via video), the final panel, Nuclear Weapons, Terrorism and the Presidency, featured Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at Harvard University; Ambassador Stephen Bosworth, Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; Leslie Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations; Graham Allison, Professor of Government at Harvard University; and moderated by Tom Gjelten, NPR correcponsdent.

transcript »    

 
Madeleine AlbrightMadeleine Kunin
 
Madeleine Albright and Madeleine KuninMadeleine Albright
 

A Conversation with Madeleine Albright

Thursday, October 1, 2009 6:00-7:30 PM

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright discussed her new book, Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box, with former Governor of Vermont and author of Pearls, Politics and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead, Madeleine Kunin.[Photo credit: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders]  

transcript »     full video »    

 
Scott SimonAdam Gopnik
 
Diane JohnsonSean Hemingway
 

A Moveable Feast

Sunday, September 20, 2009 2:00-3:30 PM

Sean Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway's grandson; Adam Gopnik, New Yorker writer and author of Paris to the Moon; and, Diane Johnson, author of Le Mariage and Le Divorce, discussed the restored edition of Hemingway's Parisian classic, A Moveable Feast, with Scott Simon, host of NPR's Saturday Weekend Edition.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Lillian RossSusan Morrison
 
Lillian Ross and Susan MorrisonLillian Ross
 

A Conversation with Lillian Ross

Tuesday, June 9, 2009 5:30-6:30 PM

To mark the 110th anniversary of Hemingway’s birth, Lillian Ross reflected on her famous 1950 New Yorker profile of the Nobel-prize winning author and what she has learned about writing and writers throughout her career.  Ms. Ross was joined by her New Yorker editor Susan Morrison. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Christopher Lydon, Nicholson Baker, Stephen Bergman, Charles McGrath, Anne Bernays, William Pritchard, Elizabeth Updike CobblahAnne Bernays
 
Nicholson Baker, Christopher LydonElizabeth Updike Cobblah
 

A Tribute to John Updike

Sunday, June 7, 2009 3:00-4:00 PM

Authors Nicholson Baker, Samuel Shem (pen-name of Dr. Stephen Bergman) and Anne Bernays; editor and journalist Charles McGrath; critic and scholar William Pritchard; and family members paid tribute to John Updike, who passed away on January 27, 2009 at the age of 76.  Radio/internet host Christopher Lydon was Master of Ceremonies.  This program was presented in conjunction with PEN New England.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Max Kennedy
 
 

A Conversation with Max Kennedy

Monday, May 25, 2009 2:00-3:30 PM

In honor of Memorial Day, Max Kennedy, son of Ethel and the late Robert F. Kennedy, discusseds his new book, Danger’s Hour:  The Story of the USS Bunker Hill and the Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her, with Brown University historian Ted Widmer.

transcript »    

 
Bruce Schulman, Steve Ford, Carla HillsRichard Norton Smith
 
Benton Becker and Richard Norton SmithSteven Ford
 

The Presidency of Gerald Ford

Sunday, May 3, 2009 1:30-3:00 PM

Steven Ford, son of the President; Carla Hills, who served as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Ford administration; Benton Becker, advisor to President Ford; and historian Richard Norton Smith discussed his legacy.  Bruce Schulman, professor of History at Boston University, moderated. This forum is part of the Library's series examining 20th-century presidents.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Ali Allawi and Corey FlintoffAli Allawi
 
Corey FlintoffAli Allawi and Corey Flintoff
 

The Future of Islam

Monday, April 27, 2009 5:30-7:00 PM

Ali Allawi, former Minister of Defense and Minister of Finance in the Iraqi Transitional Government, discussed his new book, The Crisis of Islamic Civilization, with NPR correspondent Corey Flintoff.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Jonathan Alter, Ted Widmer, Richard ParkerJonathan Alter
 
Richard ParkerTed Widmer
 

The First 100 Days

Monday, April 13, 2009 5:30-7:00 PM

Jonathan Alter, Senior Editor and columnist for Newsweek and author of The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, and Richard Parker, Lecturer in Public Policy and Senior Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, offered observations regarding the early days of the Obama administration.  Ted Widmer, historian and former Clinton speechwriter, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Garrison Keillor
 
 

An Afternoon with Garrison Keillor

Sunday, April 12, 2009 3:00-4:30 PM

Garrison Keillor discusses why humor is a fundamental in American life.

 
Patrick HemingwayMichael Dahlie
 
Rebecca GoldsteinRichard Rhodes
 

PEN Hemingway Awards

Sunday, March 29, 2009 3:00-4:00 PM

Patrick Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway's son, and author Richard Russo bestowed the annual PEN/Hemingway Award to Michael Dahlie for his first book of fiction, A Gentleman's Guide to Graceful Living.  Rebecca Goldstein introduced the ceremony's keynote speaker, Richard Rhodes, the Pulitzer Prize winning-author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb.  The Kennedy Library is the major repository of Ernest Hemingway's works.

transcript »     full video »    

 
RD Sahl and Governor Deval PatrickGovernor Deval Patrick
 
AudienceRD Sahl
 

A Town Hall Meeting with Governor Deval Patrick

Thursday, March 26, 2009 7:00-8:00 PM

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick discussed current issues facing Massachusetts citizens in a televised Town Meeting format moderated by NECN Anchor R.D. Sahl.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Nicholas BurnsMartha Raddatz
 
Andrew BacevichMartha Raddatz, Nicholas Burns
 

Foreign Policy Challenges Facing the Nation

Monday, March 16, 2009 5:30-7:00 PM

Ambassador Nicholas R. Burns, former Undersecretary of State and Professor of International Politics at Harvard University, and Andrew Bacevich, Professor of  International Relations at Boston University, discussed the nation’s foreign policy challenges with Martha Raddatz, Chief Foreign Correspondent for ABC News. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Cartoon by HaynieRobin Young
 
 

Presidential Cartoonists

Monday, February 16, 2009 2:00-3:30 PM

Dan Wasserman of The Boston Globe; Mike Luckovich of the The Atlanta Journal Constitution; and Joel Pett of the Lexington Herald-Leader shared their favorite cartoons from the 2008 presidential campaign. Robin Young, host of WBUR's Here and Now, moderated.

full video »    

 
Bob Herbert, Dolores Huerta, Marian Wright EdelmanDolores Huerta
 
Marian Wright EdelmanBob Herbert
 

Poverty and Social Justice Challenges Facing the Nation

Sunday, February 8, 2009 2:00-3:30 PM

Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, and Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America, discussed the social, economic and educational challenges facing this country.  New York Times columnist, Bob Herbert, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Paul Farmer, Matt DamonMatt Damon, Linda Dorcena Forry, Brian Concannon, Jr.
 
Paul Farmer, Matt Damon, Linda Dorcena Forry, Brian Concannon, Jr., Amy GoodmanMatt Damon
 

Change Haiti Can Believe In

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 5:30-7:00 PM

Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners In Health; actor and activist Matt Damon, who recently visited Haiti to assist victims devastated by hurricanes; Massachusetts State Representative and Haitian-American Linda Dorcena Forry; and Brian Concannon, Jr., director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, shared their stories of eradicating disease and injustice in one of the world's poorest nations, and discussed how changes in U.S. policy can help to build a stronger, more resilient, and prosperous Haiti.  Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
James Fallows, Lincoln ChenLincoln Chen
 
James Fallows James Fallows, Lincoln Chen
 

Postcards from China

Sunday, January 25, 2009 2:00-3:30 PM

James Fallows, National Corresondent for The Atlantic, who has been living in China for the last two years, discussed his book, Postcards from Tomorrow Square:  Reports from China, with the founder of Harvard University's Global Equity Initiative, Dr. Lincoln Chen. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Gwen Ifill, Bob HerbertBob Herbert
 
Gwen Ifill, Bob HerbertGwen Ifill
 

A Conversation with Gwen Ifill

Thursday, January 22, 2009 5:30-7:00 PM

Gwen Ifill, host of PBS' Washington Week, discussed her new book, The Breakthrough: Politics in the Age of Obama, with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Roger WilkinsCallie Crossley, Roger Wilkins
 
Callie Crossley Callie Crossley, Roger Wilkins
 

Civil Rights in the Age of Obama

Monday, January 19, 2009 2:00-3:30 PM

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and civil rights leader Roger Wilkins reflected on the state of American race relations, the evolution of our electoral politics, and Barack Obama’s historic election with journalist Callie Crossley.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Ted SorensenTed Widmer, Ted Sorensen
 
Ted Widmer Ted Sorensen
 

The Writing of the Inaugural Address

Sunday, January 11, 2009 2:00-3:30 PM

Ted Sorensen, Special Counsel to President Kennedy, reflected on the writing of President Kennedy's inaugural address and discussed what to look for during the January 20, 2009 inauguration with historian and former Clinton speechwriter Ted Widmer.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Jane MayerJohn Shattuck, Jane Mayer, James Traub, Michael Posner, James McGovern
 
James Traub, James McGovern, Michael PosnerJane Mayer, James Traub
 

Human Rights Challenges Facing the Next President

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Jane Mayer, New Yorker writer and author of The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror turned into a War on American Ideals; James McGovern, Chair of the Massachusetts Congressional Human Rights Caucus; Michael Posner, President, Human Rights First; and James Traub, New York Times Magazine writer and author of The Freedom Agenda, discussed future human rights challenges with John Shattuck, CEO of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor under President Clinton.

transcript »    

 
Renee Loth, Laurence Tribe, Mary BonautoMarian Walsh
 
Renee Loth, Laurence Tribe, Mary BonautoRenee Loth, Laurence Tribe, Mary Bonauto, Marian Walsh
 

Same-Sex Marriage in Massachusetts

Sunday, November 16, 2008 2:00-3:30 PM

On the 5th anniversary of the landmark Massachusetts Supreme Court decision on the case that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage, lead counsel Mary Bonauto, Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe and Senator Marian Walsh reflected on the progress that has been made and the challenges ahead for gay rights.  Editorial Page Editor for The Boston Globe Renee Loth moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Dr. Jonathan Shay, Christopher Lydon, James MeeksChristopher Lydon
 
Dr. Jonathan Shay, Christopher Lydon, James MeeksDr. Jonathan Shay
 

The Trials of Homecoming

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 1:30-3:00 PM

Psychiatrist and MacArthur Fellow Dr. Jonathan Shay explained his treatment of combat trauma by using the ancient accounts of battle described in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.  He was joined by former army captain James Meeks, who served two tours of duty in Iraq.  Radio host Christopher Lydon moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Martha Gellhorn
 
 

The Centennial of Martha Gellhorn

Sunday, November 9, 2008 2:00-3:30 PM

Gellhorn's biographer Caroline Moorehead and war correspondent turned novelist Ward Just (2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist) paid tribute to the groundbreaking career of journalist and writer, Martha Gellhorn, with NPR special correspondent Susan Stamberg.  Gellhorn was the third wife of Ernest Hemingway whose papers are archived at the Kennedy Library.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Dana GioiaDana Gioia and Sven Birkerts
 
Dana Gioia Dana Gioia and Sven Birkerts
 

The President and the Arts

Monday, October 27, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Dana Gioia, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, argued for as prominent a role for the arts in presidential policies as exemplified by the Kennedy administration.  Essayist and author Sven Birkerts (The Gutenberg Elegies) moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Gloria SteinemSean Wilentz
 
Alan WolfeGloria Steinem, Sean Wilentz, Alan Wolfe, Richard Parker
 

The Role of the Public Intellectual

Sunday, October 12, 2008 1:30-3:00 PM

On the centennial of John Kenneth Galbraith's birth and the opening of his papers at the Kennedy Library, Gloria Steinem, and Professors Alan Wolfe and Sean Wilentz of Boston College and Princeton University respectively pay tribute to the public intellectual -- particularly Galbraith and Arthur Schlesinger who served in the Kennedy Administration, and their intellectual nemesis yet personal friend, the late William F. Buckley.  Harvard University Professor and Galbraith biographer Richard Parker moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
George McGovern, Tom Oliphant, Michael DukakisMichael Dukakis
 
George McGovernGeorge McGovern
 

Running for President

Sunday, October 5, 2008 2:00-3:30 PM

George McGovern and Michael Dukakis, the 1972 and 1988 Democratic Presidential Nominees respectively, reflected on their own races and how presidential campaigns have evolved over time. Tom Oliphant, who covered both of their campaigns for The Boston Globe, moderated. 

transcript »    

 
Eleanor CliftMark Halperin
 
Jonathan AlterJonathan Alter, Eleanor Clift
 

The Making of a President 2008

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Veteran political reporters Jonathan Alter and Eleanor Clift of Newsweek and Mark Halperin of Time Magazine set this year's presidential election in an historical context and focus on the factors that will determine who will be the 44th President of the United States.

transcript »    

 
Garrett Graff, Joe Trippi, Tom AshbrookGarrett Graff
 
Joe TrippiJoe Trippi
 

 Internet, Blogs, You Tube and Presidential Campaigns

Thursday, September 11, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Political reporters Matt Bai of The New York Times and Garrett Graff of Washingtonian Magazine (and the first blogger given a White House press pass); and, Joe Trippi, campaign advisor to Howard Dean (2004) and John Edwards (2008) examine how the internet has revolutionized politics with Tom Ashbrook, host of WBUR’s On Point. 

transcript »    

 
Joe NyeJoe Nye, Cass Sunstein, Robert Kuttner
 
Joe Nye, Cass Sunstein, Robert Kuttner, Martha RaddatzMartha Raddatz
 

Transformative Presidencies

Monday, September 8, 2008 5:00-6:30 PM

What leadership qualities characterize Presidents who transform history?  What kind of presidential leader does our country need now?  Harvard Professor and author Joe Nye, (The Powers to Lead); columnist and author Robert Kuttner, (Obama's Challenge: America's Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency); and, Harvard Law Professor Cass Sunstein discussed these questions with ABC News White House correspondent Martha Raddatz.

transcript »    

 
Nancy Pelosi and Swanee HuntNancy Pelosi
 
Swanee HuntNancy Pelosi
 

A Conversation with Nancy Pelosi

Monday, August 4, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed her new autobiography, Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters, with Ambassador Swanee Hunt, Director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

transcript »    

 
The Wonder of it All movie poster
 
 

A Screening and Discussion of The Wonder of it All

Monday, July 14, 2008 2:00-4:00 PM

Jeff Roth -- writer, director, and producer -- discusses his new documentary about the Apollo Space missions and the astronauts who landed on the moon. 

 
Juan WilliamsNancy Gertner
 
Lani GuinierSheryll Cashin
 

The Centennial of Thurgood Marshall

Monday, June 16, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

July 2, 2008 marked the centennial of Thurgood Marshall's birth.  Join Juan Williams, NPR Senior Correspondent and author of Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary; U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner; and, Harvard Law Professor Lani Guinier as they honored the first African American appointed to the United State Supreme Court.  Georgetown Law Professor Sheryll Cashin moderated. 

transcript »    

 
Kennedy Family
 
 

The Kennedy Family in London: 1938 - 1940

Thursday, June 12, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Will Swift discussed his new book, The Kennedys Amidst the Gathering Storm: A Thousand Days in London, 1938 - 1940.  During this brief but crucial period, the Kennedys emerged as the political dynasty we know today, setting the stage for all their future successes and tragedies.  WBUR's political news reporter, Fred Thys, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Muhammad YunusMuhammad Yunus and Lincoln Chen
 
Muhammad Yunus Muhammad Yunus
 

A Conversation with 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus

Saturday, June 7, 2008 2:30-4:30 PM

Muhammad Yunus discussed his book, Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, which outlines a new business model to create a more humane world.  Dr. Lincoln Chen, founder of Harvard University's Global Equity Initiative, moderated.

transcript »    

 
Adam Frankel and Tom OliphantRobert McNamara and Carl Kaysen
 
Ted SorensenTed Sorensen, Robert McNamara, Lee C. White
 

An Evening with Ted Sorensen

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Former Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant moderated a discussion with Mr. Sorensen's former colleagues in the Kennedy administration -- Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense; Carl Kaysen, Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs; and, Lee C. White, Assistant Special Counsel to the President and a law school classmate of Mr. Sorensen's -- along with Adam Frankel, who assisted Mr. Sorensen in research on his autobiography, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History, which was published in May.   

transcript »     full video »    

 
Barney Frank and Paul KrugmanBarney Frank
 
Paul KrugmanBarney Frank
 

A Conversation with Barney Frank

Monday, April 28, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Congressman Barney Frank discussed the federal government's role in addressing economic and social problems, particularly growing inequality in our society, with New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Renee Loth, Robin Chase, Richard CizikRichard Cizik, Gary Hirshberg, Mindy Lubber
 
Gary HirshbergRobin Chase, Richard Cizik
 

Saving the Environment

Monday, April 7, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

How have business, religious and community leaders raised the consciousness of citizens to become environmentally responsible?  Gary Hirshberg, the founder and CEO of Stonyfield Farm; Richard Cizik, Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals; Robin Chase, Founder of ZipCar; and, Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres, shared their innovative approaches. Renee Loth, Editor of the Editorial Page of The Boston Globe, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Patrick HemingwayPatrick Hemingway and Joshua Ferris
 
Joshua FerrisAlice Hoffman
 

PEN Hemingway Awards

Sunday, March 30, 2008 3:00-4:00 PM

Alice Hoffman delivered the keynote address at the PEN/Hemingway Awards ceremony hosted annually by the Kennedy Library.  Ms. Hoffman is one of our nation's most distinguished novelists.  The Kennedy Library is the major repository of Ernest Hemingway's works.

transcript »    

 
Samantha Power and John ShattuckSamantha Power
 
John ShattuckSamantha Power
 

Challenges for the UN

Monday, March 24, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power discussed her new book Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World, with John Shattuck, CEO of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor under President Clinton. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Carol Johnson, David Boeri, Mayor MeninoCarol Johnson and David Boeri
 
David BoeriCarol Johnson
 

A Conversation with Carol Johnson

Thursday, March 20, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Boston's new School Superintendent Carol Johnson discussed the challenges facing our public schools with David Boeri, host of WBUR's Radio Boston. Mayor Menino introduced the forum.

transcript »    

 
Kathleen Kennedy TownsendDolores Huerta, Rafer Johnson, William vanden Heuvel
 
John Seigenthaler, Haynes Johnson, Elaine Jones, Michael Sandel, Jules WitcoverSenator Edward M. Kennedy
 

Robert Kennedy and the 1968 Campaign

Sunday, March 16, 2008 1:00-5:00 PM

March 16, 2008 marked the 40th anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy's announcement to run for President of the United States.  Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Peter Edelman, Dolores Huerta, Rafer Johnson, Gerard Doherty, William vanden Heuvel, Haynes Johnson, Jules Witcover, Elaine Jones, Michael Sandel, and John Seigenthaler  shared share memories of the campaign and reflected on the legacy of RFK. Senator Edward M. Kennedy delivered the closing remarks.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Neil Connelly and Billy CostaIn the Kennedy Kitchen book cover
 
Billy Costa and Neil ConnellyBilly Costa and Neil Connelly
 

In the Kennedy Kitchen with Chef Neil Connolly

Sunday, March 9, 2008 3:00-4:00 PM

Former Kennedy family chef, Neil Connolly, prepared favorite Kennedy family recipes and shared memories of his many years cooking for the family in Hyannis Port.  NECN TV Diner and KISS 108’s Billy Costa moderated. Following the discussion, Chef Connolly signed copies of his book, In the Kennedy Kitchen:  Recipes and Recollections of A Great American Family.  "In the Kennedy Kitchen" was made possible by the generous support of Gourmet Caterers, NECN and Boston Irish Tourism Association. 

full video »    

 
Neil SwideyBill LIttlefield
 
 

Race, Class and Public Education

Monday, March 3, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Boston Globe reporter Neil Swidey joined University of Massachusetts Boston Chancellor Keith Motley; former Headmaster of Charlestown High School Michael Fung, and, Shawn Brown, founder of Diamond Educators, a mentoring organization for young men, in a discussion about the plight of our inner-city schools.  Swidey’s book, The Assist: Hoops, Hope and the Game of Their Lives, examines this issue through the lives of the Charlestown High School basketball team.  Bill Littlefield, host of WBUR's Only A Game, moderated.   

transcript »     full video »    

 
Anthony Lewis
 
 

Freedom for the Thoughts We Hate

Monday, February 25, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Lewis discussed his new book, Freedom for the Thoughts We Hate, with Harvard Law Professor Martha Minow. 

 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Madeleine KuninTom Oliphant, Madeleine Kunin, David Yepsen
 
Tom OliphantTom Oliphant and David Yepsen
 

Electing a President

Monday, February 18, 2008 2:00-3:30 PM

Madeleine Kunin, the first woman Governor of Vermont and the author of the upcoming Pearls, Politics, & Power: How Women Can Win and Lead; David Yepsen, Political Columnist for The Des Moines Register; and, former Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant shared their insights about this unprecedented 2008 presidential campaign.*DUE TO AN INJURY, GEORGE MCGOVERN WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Robert Pinsky and Charles SimicRobert Pinsky and Charles Simic
 
Robert Pinsky and Charles SimicRobert Pinsky and Charles Simic
 

Welcome to the new Poet Laureate

Monday, January 28, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and new Poet Laureate Charles Simic discussed poetry and read their favorite poems.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Ted Sorensen and Nick KatzenbachJames Hood
 
Callie Crossley, Ted Sorensen, Nick Katzenbach, James HoodJames Hood
 

 A Civil Rights Milestone - June 11, 1963

Monday, January 21, 2008 2:00-3:30 PM

On June 11, 1963, two African American students -- James Hood and Vivian Malone -- were barred entry to the University of Alabama by Governor George Wallace.  In response, President Kennedy called out the National Guard, Governor Wallace stepped aside, and the President delivered a major civil rights address to the nation.  After President Kennedy's speech, the civil rights leader, Medgar Evers, was tragically murdered in his home. James Hood, Nick Katzenbach, and Ted Sorensen discussed the events of this historic turning point in American history. Callie Crossley moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Madeleine AlbrightJoe Nye
 
Joe Nye and Madeleine AlbrightJoe Nye and Madeleine Albright
 

A Conversation with Madeleine Albright

Monday, January 14, 2008 5:30-7:00 PM

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright discussed her new book, Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership with Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye.

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Maria ShriverScott Stossel
 
Bill JosephsonEdgar May
 

A Screening and Discussion of American Idealist

Sunday, January 13, 2008 2:00-4:30 PM

Maria Shriver introduced American Idealist, a new documentary chronicling the accomplishments of her father, R. Sargent Shriver, who started several programs in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, including Peace Corps and Head Start.  Following the screening, there was a conversation with the film director, Bruce Orenstein; Shriver's biographer, Scott Stossel; and William Josephson and Edgar May, friends of Sargent Shriver's. This forum was presented in partnership with Facing History and Ourselves. 

transcript »    

 
Michael BeschlossMichael Beschloss and Al Hunt
 
Al HuntMichael Beschloss and Al Hunt
 

Presidential Courage

Sunday, December 9, 2007 4:00-5:30 PM

Against the backdrop of the 2008 presidential campaign, historian Michael Beschloss discussed his new book, Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989.  Al Hunt of Bloomberg News moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
David EisenhowerRay Price
 
David GreenbergEllen Fitzpatrick
 

 The Presidency of Richard M. Nixon

Tuesday, December 4, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

David Eisenhower, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the son-in-law of President Nixon; David Greenberg, a historian at Rutgers University; and Ray Price;, speechwriter to President Nixon, discussed President Nixon's legacy with Ellen Fitzpatrick, a historian at the University of New Hampshire.  This forum is part of the Library's series examining 20th-century presidents.

transcript »    

 
Sheryl Julian and Judith JonesJudith Jones
 
Sheryl JulianSheryl Julian and Judith Jones
 

Remembering Julia Child

Tuesday, November 20, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

Julia Child's long-time editor, Judith Jones, discussed French cooking, the joys of eating, and the indefatigable Julia Child with Sheryl Julian, Food Editor of The Boston Globe.  Her new memoir is The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food. This forum is presented in conjunction with our current exhibit, Jacqueline Kennedy Entertains: The Art of the White House Dinner.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Bobby, Maria, Anthony and Mark Shriver and Mary Ann GlendonBobby and Maria Shriver
 
Anthony and Mark ShriverJean Kennedy Smith, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Edward M. Kennedy
 

A Tribute to Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Friday, November 16, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s children -- Robert, Maria, Mark, and Anthony -- discussed their mother's many accomplishments with Harvard Law School Professor Mary Ann Glendon. Eunice Kennedy Shriver is the founder and Honorary Chairperson of Special Olympics and sister of President John F. Kennedy.

transcript »     video excerpt »     full video »    

 
Martha RaddatzChet Curtis and Martha Raddatz
 
Chet Curtis and Martha RaddatzMartha Raddatz
 

Honoring Our Soldiers in Iraq

Sunday, November 11, 2007 1:00-2:30 PM

Martha Raddatz, ABC's chief White House correspondent, discussed her coverage of the war in Iraq and her new book The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family.  Veteran journalist and NECN Anchor Chet Curtis moderated.

transcript »    

 
Richard N. GoodwinDoris Kearns and Richard N. Goodwin
 
Doris Kearns GoodwinDoris Kearns and Richard N. Goodwin
 

A Conversation with Richard N. Goodwin

Sunday, November 4, 2007 4:00-5:30 PM

Richard N. Goodwin, an advisor and speechwriter to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, shared memories and reflected on the changes in the political landscape since the 1960s.  His wife, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, moderated.

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Desmond TutuDesmond Tutu, Margaret Marshall, Richard Goldstone
 
Skip Gates and Desmond TutuDesmond Tutu and Margaret Marshall
 

The Struggle for Freedom and Justice in South Africa

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

Archbishop Desmond Tutu,  Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshall and Justice Richard Goldstone, who served on The Constitutional Court of South Africa, examined the long road toward freedom and justice in South Africa.  Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. moderated.

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Ted SorensenGraham Allison and Ted Sorensen
 
Graham AllisonGraham Allison and Ted Sorensen
 

The Cuban Missile Crisis: An Eyewitness Perspective

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 11:00 AM-12:00 PM

On 45th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Theodore C. Sorensen, Special Counsel and Adviser to President John F. Kennedy, shared his memories of some of the most harrowing days in U.S. history with Graham Allison, Professor of Government at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, moderated.

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Tom Oliphant, Scott Simon, Sharon RobinsonSharon Robinson
 
Scott SimonTom Oliphant, Scott Simon, Sharon Robinson
 

A Tribute to Jackie Robinson

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

Jackie Robinson's daughter, Sharon Robinson, Director of Educational Programming for Major League Baseball, and Scott Simon, author of Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball, paid tribute to Robinson during this 60th anniversary year of his having broken the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Tom Oliphant, former Boston Globe columnist and author of Praying for Gil Hodges: A Memoir of the 1955 World Series and One Family's Love of the Brooklyn Dodgers, moderated. This forum was presented in conjunction with a new exhibit, Shaping Up America: JFK, Sports and the Call to Physical Fitness.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Ken BurnsMike Barnicle
 
Mike Barnicle and Ken BurnsMike Barnicle and Ken Burns
 

A Conversation with Ken Burns

Friday, September 28, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

Filmmaker Ken Burns showed excerpts from and discussed his new documentary about World War II, The War, with veteran journalist and news commentator Mike Barnicle.

transcript »    

 
Sunita WilliamsRobin Young
 
Sunita WilliamsSunita Williams
 

Exploring the Space Frontier

Monday, September 17, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

September 12th marks the 45th anniversary of President Kennedy’s Rice University speech about the importance of space exploration.  NASA Astronaut and Needham, Massachusetts native Sunita Williams shared her experiences about having been a crew member on the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle, and having set a new record for the longest spaceflight by a woman.  Robin Young, host of WBUR's Here & Now, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Alan Alda and Tom OliphantAlan Alda
 
Alan Alda and Tom OliphantTom Oliphant
 

A Conversation with Alan Alda

Monday, September 10, 2007 6:00-7:30 PM

Alan Alda discussed his new memoir Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself chronicling the turbulent 1960s to the aftermath of 9/11, with former Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant.  

transcript »     full video »    

 
Charlayne Hunter GaultGwen Ifill
 
 

A Conversation with Charlayne Hunter-Gault

Tuesday, September 4, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

Before launching her journalism career, Charlayne Hunter-Gault made civil rights history as the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Georgia in 1962.  Ms. Hunter-Gault discussed her trailblazing career, changes in broadcast journalism, and her life in South Africa with Gwen Ifill, host of the PBS program Washington Week.  

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Judith MartinJudith Martin and Ellen Goodman
 
Judith MartinJudith Martin and Ellen Goodman
 

The Art of Entertaining

Monday, June 18, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

In conjunction with the exhibit Jacqueline Kennedy Entertains: The Art of the White House Dinner, Judith Martin , a.k.a. Miss Manners, paid tribute to Mrs. Kennedy's legendary skills as a hostess.  Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Boston Globe, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Roland Clement, E.O. Wilson, Annick SmithAnnick Smith
 
Roland ClementStewart Udall
 

Rachel Carson Centennial

Saturday, June 2, 2007 1:00-3:00 PM

May 27, 2007 is the centennial of Rachel Carson's birth.  Her book, Silent Spring, transformed our nation and its understanding of the dangers of pesticide use.  In response to the issues she raised, President Kennedy appointed a special Science Advisory committee that subsequently affirmed her findings.  Stewart Udall , Secretary of the Interior in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, delivered opening remarks.  The other speakers who discussed Carson's life and legacy were Professor E.O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist; and Roland Clement, former Vice President of the Audubon Society and her defender during the 1950s and 1960s.  Annick Smith, nature writer and co-producer of A River Runs Through It, moderated.*Linda Lear, Carsons's biographer, was unable to attend due to a cancelled flight. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Don Cheadle, John Prendergast, Liz WalkerDon Cheadle and John Prendergast
 
Don CheadleDon Cheadle
 

Darfur: Not On Our Watch

Friday, May 4, 2007 2:00-3:30 PM

Actor/Activist Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Traffic, Crash) and John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group, discussed their new book, Not On Our Watch, about the genocide in Darfur and individuals who have raised awareness to stop the suffering.   Liz Walker, host of Sunday with Liz Walker, moderated.

transcript »     video excerpt »     full video »    

 
Ali Allawi and Barbara BodineAli Allawi and Barbara Bodine
 
Peter Galbraith and Kevin CullenPeter Galbraith
 

Challenges in Iraq

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

March 2007 marked the fourth anniversary of the U.S. military intervention in Iraq.   Ali Allawi, former Minister of Defense and Minister of Finance in the Iraqi Transitional Government; Ambassador Barbara Bodine, who has spent most of her career in the Middle East, most recently as a coordinator for post-conflict reconstruction in Iraq; and, Ambassador Peter Galbraith, author of The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End  discussed the situation in Iraq today.  Boston Globe reporter Kevin Cullen moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Ernest Hemingway and Gary CooperPeter Keough, Patrick Hemingway, John Mulholland
 
Patrick HemingwayJohn Mulholland
 

The True Gen

Monday, April 2, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

The close friendship between Ernest Hemingway and Gary Cooper is the focus of a new documentary directed by John Mulholland .  He and Patrick Hemingway , Ernest Hemingway's son, discussed the film and showed selected excerpts.  Peter Keough, film critic for The Boston Phoenix, moderated.

 
Patrick Hemingway and Ben FountainFlorence Ladd and Edward P. Jones
 
Edward P. JonesEdward P. Jones
 

PEN Hemingway Awards

Sunday, April 1, 2007 3:00-4:00 PM

Edward P. Jones  delivered the keynote address at the PEN/Hemingway Awards ceremony hosted annually by the Kennedy Library.  Mr. Jones won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and the Lannan Literary Award for The Known World. He is a past PEN/Hemingway Award winner and MacArthur Fellow.  His new book is All Aunt Hagar's Children.  The Kennedy Library is the major repository of Ernest Hemingway's works.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Kathleen Kennedy TownsendKathleen Kennedy Townsend, John Seigenthaler, Michael Sandel
 
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and John SeigenthalerKathleen Kennedy Townsend, John Seigenthaler, Michael Sandel
 

Faith and Politics

Sunday, March 18, 2007 1:00-2:30 PM

 Former Lt. Governor of Maryland and eldest daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, discussed her new book Failing America's Faithful: How Today's Churches are Mixing God with Politics and Losing Their Way with Harvard Professor Michael Sandel.  John Seigenthaler, founder of the First Amendment Center, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Daniel SchorrJill Ker Conway
 
Anthony LewisScott Simon
 

Reflections on the 20th Century

Monday, March 12, 2007 5:30-7:00 PM

Born on May 29, 1917, John F. Kennedy would have turned 90 years old this spring. NPR Senior News Analyst, Daniel Schorr , former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis, and historian Jill  Ker Conway  looked back at the 20th century and reflected on the changes that have shaped and changed our nation and the world since President Kennedy’s death.  Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
James TraubGillian Sorensen
 
Iqbal RizaNancy Soderberg
 

The UN in the Era of American World Power

Sunday, February 25, 2007 2:00-3:30 PM

James Traub discussed his new book The Best Intentions: Kofi Annan and the UN in the Era of American World Power with Gillian Sorensen, Senior Adviser at the United Nations Foundation and Iqbal Riza, former Chief of Staff to Secretary General Kofi Annan.  Nancy Soderberg , who served in President Clinton's National Security Council and was an Alternate Representative to the United Nations, moderated.   

transcript »     full video »    

 
Theodore SorensenRay Price
 
Ted WidmerLinda Wertheimer
 

Presidential Speechwriters

Monday, February 19, 2007 2:00-3:30 PM

Theodore Sorensen, Special Counsel and speechwriter for President Kennedy, Ray Price,  speechwriter for President Nixon, Ted Widmer, foreign policy speechwriter for President Clinton, and Chriss Winston , Director of the Office of Speechwriting for President George H.W. Bush, discussed the art of capturing the president's voice, communicating his ideas, and inspiring the public.  They shared memories of the presidents with whom they worked and clips from their favorite speeches. Linda Wertheimer, NPR's National Senior Correspondent, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Charles DuttonDwight Andrews
 
Elvis MitchellElvis Mitchell, Dwight Andrews, Charles Dutton
 

A Tribute to August Wilson

Monday, January 15, 2007 2:00-4:00 PM

Charles Dutton, the actor twice nominated for a Tony Award for his performances in August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and The Piano Lesson; and Dwight Andrews , the musical director for several of Wilson's Broadway productions, paid tribute to the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who passed away in October 2005.  Wilson's cycle of ten prize-winning plays chronicles the lives of African Americans throughout the 20th century. Elvis Mitchell, entertainment critic for NPR's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Stan Katz and Patrick HemingwayPatrick Hemingway
 
Stan KatzPatrick Hemingway
 

A Conversation with Patrick Hemingway

Sunday, December 3, 2006 2:00-3:15 PM

Patrick Hemingway, the son of Ernest Hemingway, discussed his father's writing and legacy with Stanley Katz, President Emeritus of the American Council of Learned Societies and chair of the Societies' Social Research Council Working Group on Cuba, through which he has done extensive work with the Hemingway materials remaining in Cuba.  The Kennedy Library is the major repository of Ernest Hemingway's papers. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Senator Kennedy, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Sean Wilentz, Alan Brinkley, John SeigenthalerDoris Kearns Goodwin, Sean Wilentz, Alan Brinkley, John Seigenthaler
 
Doris Kearns Goodwin and Sean WilentzArthur Schlesinger
 

A Tribute to Arthur Schlesinger

Monday, November 27, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

Historians Alan Brinkley, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Sean Wilentz  looked back at the extraordinary life and career of one of America's foremost historians.   John Seigenthaler, founder of the First Amendment Center, moderated.  Arthur Schlesinger was special assistant to President John F. Kennedy and won the Pulitzer Prize for A Thousand Days, his biography of President Kennedy.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Robert Blendon, Jim Braude, Andy KohutRobert Blendon
 
Jim Braude and Andy KohutAndy Kohut
 

Interpreting the Mid-Term Elections

Wednesday, November 15, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

Robert Blendon, Director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program, and Andrew Kohut , Diretor of the Pew Research Center, interpreted the results of the Novemer 7th elections.  NECN host, Jim Braude, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Andrew Carroll, Jon Peede, Edward Jewell, Paul Danielson, Kathleen JabsAndrew Carroll
 
Jon PeedeEdward Jewell, Paul Danielson, Kathleen Jabs
 

Operation Homecoming

Saturday, November 11, 2006 1:00-2:30 PM

Operation Homecoming is a program created by the National Endowment for the Arts to encourage returning soldiers to write about their wartime experiences.  Their poems, essays and stories have been published in a literary anthology.  Soldiers having recently returned from Iraq who have participated in this program read from their works.  Andrew Carroll, editor of the anthology and author of the bestselling War Letters, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
William KrisolJohn Podesta
 
Evan ThomasJohn Podesta and William Kristol
 

The Progressive/Conservative Debate

Monday, October 30, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard, and John Podesta , President and CEO of the Center for American Progress, debated the issues -- from stem cell research to the war on terror -- that define and often divide American politics today.  Evan Thomas, Assistant Managing Editor of Newsweek, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Senator John DanforthRichard Cizik
 
Rev. Barry LynnRenee Loth, Richard Cizik, John Danforth, Barry Lynn
 

Religion and Politics in America

Monday, October 23, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

Rev. Richard Cizik, Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals; retired Senator John Danforth, author of Faith and Politics; and Rev. Barry Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State and author of Piety & Politics,  examined the evolving role of religion in American politics.  Renee Loth, editor of the editorial page of The Boston Globe, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Barack ObamaBarack Obama
 
Bob Herbert and Barack ObamaBob Herbert and Barack Obama
 

A Conversation with Barack Obama

Friday, October 20, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

Senator Barack Obama discussed his new book, The Audacity of Hope, with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Michael Patrick MacDonaldMichael Patrick MacDonald and Maureen Dezell
 
Michael Patrick MacDonald and Maureen DezellMichael Patrick MacDonald
 

A Conversation with Michael Patrick MacDonald

Tuesday, October 3, 2006 5:00-6:30 PM

Michael Patrick MacDonald continues his memoir, All Souls, of growing up in South Boston in a new book, Easter Rising: An Irish American Coming Up from Under.  Maureen Dezell, a former staff writer for The Boston Globe and author of Irish America: Coming into Clover,  moderated.  This forum was presented in conjunction with the Library's exhibit, A Journey Home: JFK and Ireland.

transcript »    

 
Sarah ChayesSebastian Junger and Sarah Chayes
 
Jessica Stern, Sebastian Junger, Sarah Chayes
 

Rebuilding Afghanistan

Monday, September 25, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

Former National Public Radio correspondent Sarah Chayes , who has been living in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, and award-winning journalist Sebastian Junger, who has covered Afghanistan for ABC News and other publications, discussed efforts to help reconstruct Afghanistan after 9/11.  Jessica Stern, an expert on terrorism who teaches at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
George MitchellGeorge Mitchell and Kevin Cullen
 
George Mitchell and kevin CullenGeorge Mitchell
 

Brokering Peace

Monday, September 18, 2006 6:00-7:30 PM

Senator George Mitchell , who served as Chairman of the Peace Negotiations in Northern Ireland that led to the historic Good Friday Peace Agreement, analyzed the primary issues involved in resolving the conflicts in Northern Ireland and the Middle East.  Kevin Cullen of the Boston Globe moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Tom Gjelten, James Carroll, Sarah Sewall
 
 

The Pentagon and the Presidency

Monday, June 12, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

James Carroll  discussed his new book House of War in which he argues the Pentagon has, since its founding, operated beyond the control of any force in government including the President himself. Sarah Sewall, Director of the Program on National Security and Human Rights at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and Retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor, author of Breaking the Phalanx and Transformation Under Fire, joined him.  NPR National Security Correspondent Tom Gjelten moderated.

transcript »    

 
Robert DallekLet Every Nation Know
 
 

Robert Dallek on John F. Kennedy in His Own Words

Sunday, June 11, 2006 2:00-3:30 PM

Acclaimed biographer Robert Dallek played and commented on excerpts from some of President Kennedy's most memorable speeches, press conferences and debates.  Boston University historian Bruce Schulman moderated. 

transcript »    

 
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
 
 

A Conversation with Senator Edward Kennedy on Immigration

Friday, June 9, 2006 1:30-2:30 PM

Senator Edward Kennedy  discussed the need for immigration reform in this country and the bipartisan immigration bill he sponsored with Senator John McCain.  The Boston Globe's Tom Oliphant moderated. 

transcript »    

 
Arlo Guthrie
 
 

Singing for Justice

Monday, May 15, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

Arlo Guthrie looked back at the cultural impact of protest music that began during President Kennedy’s administration and continues in America today.  Dick Pleasants, host of The Morning Express at WUMB, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
David Ellwood, Geoffrey Canada, Barbara Ehrenreich, Jason DeParle
 
 

Poverty and the American Dream

Monday, May 8, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

Geoffrey Canada, founding President of Harlem Children’s Zone; Jason DeParle, New York Times senior writer and author of American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare; and Barbara Ehrenreich , author of the best selling Nickel and Dimed , examined, with other national experts, how to address one of this country’s most compelling challenges, poverty.  David Ellwood, Dean of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, moderated. 

transcript »    

 
Richard Donahue, Charles Daly, Jack McNally
 
 

The Irish Tenors in the Kennedy Administration

Monday, May 1, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

Charles Daly, Richard Donahue, and Jack McNally -- all members of President Kennedy's White House staff -- shared stories of working in the Kennedy White House.  Political commentator and humorist Dick Flavin moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Frank McCourt
 
 

A Conversation with Frank McCourt

Monday, April 10, 2006 5:30-7:00 PM

Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Angela’s Ashes, discussed his Irish heritage.  This forum was one of several that was in conjunction with our exhibit, "A Journey Home - John F. Kennedy and Ireland."  Kevin Cullen of The Boston Globe moderated.

transcript »    

 
Joyce Carol Oates
 
 

PEN Hemingway Awards

Sunday, April 2, 2006 3:00-4:00 PM

Joyce Carol Oates, recipient of the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction, delivered the keynote address at the annual PEN/Hemingway Award ceremony hosted annually by the Kennedy Library.  The Kennedy Library is the major repository of Ernest Hemingway's works.

transcript »    

 
Vietnam and the Presidency Brochure
 
 

Vietnam and the Presidency - Introduction by Caroline Kennedy and Interview with President Jimmy Carter

Saturday, March 11, 2006 9:00-9:30 AM

Caroline Kennedy, President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, introduced Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News anchorman. Former President Jimmy Carter then spoke via video on how the specter of Vietnam affected his foreign policy. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Theodore Sorensen, Jack Valenti, Henry Kissinger and Alexander Haig
 
 

Vietnam and the Presidency - Inside the White House

Saturday, March 11, 2006 9:30-11:30 AM

Policymakers who directed U.S. efforts in Vietnam discussed both the decisions they made in office and their impressions about how that history is now told. The panelists were General Alexander Haig, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Special Counsel to President Kennedy Theodore C. Sorensen, and Special Assistant to President Johnson Jack Valenti. Brian Williams moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Frances FitzGerald and Dan Rather
 
 

Vietnam and the Presidency - The Media and the Role of Public Opinion

Saturday, March 11, 2006 12:45-2:15 PM

How did the media cover the war? How much influence did the media have in shaping public opinion? How did the growing protest movement affect presidential decision-making? Steve Bell, who covered Vietnam for ABC News; Frances FitzGerald, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Fire in the Lake; and Dan Rather, who covered Vietnam for CBS News.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Chuck Hagel, Bob Herbert and Pete Peterson
 
 

Vietnam and the Presidency - Lessons Learned

Saturday, March 11, 2006 2:30-4:15 PM

How has what the U.S. learned in Vietnam affected subsequent presidencies and current U.S. foreign policy? General Wesley K. Clark, Senator Chuck Hagel, New York Times columist Bob Herbert, and Ambassador Pete Peterson.

transcript »     full video »    

 
 
 

Vietnam and the Presidency - How We Got In:  The United States, Asia, and Vietnam

Friday, March 10, 2006 1:00-2:30 PM

What do Presidential Library records tell us about how the United States got involved in Vietnam from American involvement in Asia at the turn of the century through the fall of French Indo-China? The panelist were professors George Herring, Robert D. Schulzinger, and Marilyn Young. The Archivist of the United States, Allen Weinstein, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Vietnam Brochure Cover
 
 

Vietnam and the Presidency - Vietnam and Presidential Tapes

Friday, March 10, 2006 2:45-4:45 PM

How do recently recorded presidential tapes inform our understanding of how policy was made and what policymakers were thinking at the time?Historians Timothy Naftali for Johnson, David Kaiser for Kennedy, and Jeffrey Kimball for Nixon.  The Assistant Archivist for Presidential Libraries, Sharon Fawcett, will moderate. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
David Halberstam
 
 

Vietnam and the Presidency -- Keynote by David Halberstam

Friday, March 10, 2006 5:00-5:30 PM

David Halberstam won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting in Vietnam and is the author of The Best and the Brightest, the acclaimed critical history of how and why the United States went to war in Vietnam.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Richard Reeves
 
 

A Conversation with Richard Reeves on Presidents Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan

Monday, February 20, 2006 2:00-3:30 PM

Richard Reeves, the biographer of Presidents Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan, discussed their legacies.  Mark Feeney of the Boston Globe moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Barbara JordanShirley Chisholm
 
Ann Richards and Barbara LeeCokie Roberts and Callie Crossley
 

A Tribute to Barbara Jordan and Shirley Chisholm

Monday, January 16, 2006 2:00-3:30 PM

California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, National Public Radio’s senior news analyst Cokie Roberts, and former Texas Governor Ann Richards discussed the remarkable political careers of two African-American women, Barbara Jordan and Shirley Chisholm.  Veteran television and documentary producer and WGBH Commentator Callie Crossley moderated. Barbara Jordan, who died ten years ago, was elected to the Texas Senate in 1972 and was the first African-American woman from a Southern state to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Shirley Chisholm, who passed away in 2005, was the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first African-American to run as a Democratic presidential candidate in 1972.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Doris Kearns Goodwin
 
 

The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Sunday, December 18, 2005 1:00-2:30 PM

Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin explained how the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rose from obscurity to become one of the most significant presidents in this nation’s history. Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Sarge ShriverChris Matthews and Tim Shriver
 
Mark Shields, Harris Wofford, Bryan Hehir
 

A Tribute to Sargent Shriver

Monday, December 12, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

Mark Shields, Rev. Bryan Hehir, Lewis Butler, Harris Wofford, Sargent Shriver's biographer Scott Stossel, and Tim Shriver discussed the many contributions Sargent Shriver has made to our country. Chris Matthews, former Peace Corps volunteer and host of MSNBC's Hardball, moderated.  Eunice and Sargent Shriver attended. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Louise Arbour
 
 

Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials

Friday, December 9, 2005 10:00 AM-2:30 PM

Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, discussed the challenges for international justice today. Following the forum was a film marking the 60th Anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials and a conversation with survivors of genocide moderated by Kennedy Library Foundation CEO John Shattuck, former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor in the Clinton Administration.

transcript »     transcript »     full video »    

 
 
 

Dear Papa Dear Hotch

Monday, November 28, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

On the publication of Dear Papa, Dear Hotch: The Correspondence of Ernest Hemingway and A.E. Hotchner, the award-winning playwright, author, and good friend of Hemingway shared stories about the man.  Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Justin Kaplan moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Robert CaroRobert Caro, Jack Valenti, Anthony Lewis
 
 

The Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson

Sunday, November 20, 2005 2:00-3:30 PM

Robert Caro, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, delivered the keynote address in the Kennedy Library’s ongoing examination of 20th century presidents.  Jack Valenti, who served as Special Advisor to President Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times writer Anthony Lewis, and Boston University historian Bruce Schulman joined in the panel discussion of President Johnson’s legacy.  Harvard University historian Lizabeth Cohen moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
John Seigenthaler and Ellen Hume
 
 

What's Happened to the News Media?

Monday, November 7, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

John Seigenthaler, award-winning journalist and former president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors; Ellen Hume, director of the Center on Media and Society at the University of Massachusetts Boston; and Garrett Graf, the first blogger admitted to a White House press briefing, discussed the continuing controversies in print and broadcast journalism and how the Internet is changing the face of the news media. Callie Crossley of WGBH’s "Beat the Press" moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Walter Cronkite
 
 

Walter Cronkite

Wednesday, October 26, 2005 2:30-4:00 PM

Caroline Kennedy introduced Walter Cronkite, former anchorman of CBS News, who discussed his long career in broadcast journalism, his observations on American politics over the decades, and his recollections of President Kennedy with his friend and colleague, Charles Osgood, CBS News Sunday Morning anchor. Preceding the forum was the presentation of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards.        

transcript »     full video »    

 
Robert Moses and Taylor BranchTheodore Sorensen and Harris Wofford
 
Marian Wright Edelman and Elaine JonesPeter Edelman and Juan Williams
 

JFK MLK RFK 1960-1968

Sunday, October 23, 2005 2:00-5:15 PM

Theodore C. Sorensen, Special Counsel to President Kennedy; Harris Wofford, President Kennedy’s chairman for the Subcabinet Group on Civil Rights; Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Pillar of Fire; and Robert Moses, pivotal organizer for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and director of the Mississippi Project in the early 1960s, looked at the years 1960 to 1963 when Martin Luther King, Jr. engaged the President and the Attorney General in the battle to extend civil rights to all. Marian Wright Edelman, founder and chairman of the Children’s Defense Fund and an organizer of Dr. King’s Poor People’s March, then joined Peter Edelman, aide to Robert F. Kennedy; and Elaine Jones, former President of the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund, in a look at the years 1963 to 1968 and the continuing relationship between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy concerning civil rights and their growing opposition to the Vietnam War. NPR's Senior Correspondent Juan Williams moderated.

transcript »     transcript »     full video »    

 
Paul KrugmanMaya MacGuineas
 
Maya MacGuineas, Paul Krugman, Tom Oliphant
 

The Future of Social Security

Sunday, October 9, 2005 2:00-3:30 PM

New York Times columnist and economist Paul Krugman and Maya MacGuineas, President, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and Director, Fiscal Policy Program, New America Foundation, discussed the issues facing the country’s Social Security program. Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Dick KereseyPaul Fay
 
Bill BattleMaurice Kowal
 

A Conversation with World War II PT Boat Veterans

Monday, June 27, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

PT Boat veterans Dick Keresey, Paul “Red” Fay and Bill “Bitter” Battle and PT 109 veteran Maurice Kowal share their stories of serving on PT Boats in the Solomon Islands during World War II at the same time as John F. Kennedy. H.D.S. Greenway, former Editorial Page Editor of the Boston Globe, moderates.

transcript »     full video »    

 
 
 

D-Day to Berlin

Monday, June 20, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

George Stevens, Jr. introduced and discussed the documentary he made using color footage his father, the acclaimed director George Stevens, filmed across Europe at the end of World War II.  Mark Feeney of the Boston Globe moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Lt. John F. Kennedy on PT 109
 
 

The Search for PT 109

Monday, June 13, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

Dr. Robert Ballard introduces and discusses his documentary about his quest to find the wreckage of John F. Kennedy's PT boat with Dick Keresey, who was aboard PT 105 the same evening of the attack, and Max Kennedy, who accompanied the National Geographic crew to the Solomon Islands. 

transcript »    

 
Tom Brokaw
 
 

A Conversation with Tom Brokaw

Friday, May 20, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

Tom Brokaw talked about his career as former anchor for the NBC Nightly News and spoke about his book, The Greatest Generation, which profiles the extraordinary courage shown by the American men and woman who served in the Armed Forces during World War II.  Deborah Leff, Director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and Juan Williams, senior correspondent for National Public Radio, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Bob Herbert
 
 

A Conversation with Bob Herbert

Monday, May 9, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

New York Times op-ed columnist Bob Herbert discussed his new book, Promises Betrayed, which probes the widening gap between American ideals and American realities for working people, minorities, children and those not counted among the powerful.  Dick Gordon, host of WBUR’s The Connection, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Shirin Ebadi
 
 

Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi

Sunday, May 8, 2005 4:00-5:30 PM

Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, speaks about her life’s work promoting human rights, equality for women and freedom of speech in her native Iran and throughout the world.  Jacqueline Bhabba, executive director of the University Committee on Human Rights Studies at Harvard University, moderates. 

transcript »    

 
Larry Lucchino
 
 

Celebrating the Red Sox

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox chief executive officer, Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe Sports columnist, Tom Werner, Chairman of the Boston Red Sox, and Marty Nolan, former editorial writer for the Boston Globe, looked back at the season leading up to the Red Sox’s World Series Championship. Mike Barnicle, Boston Herald columnist, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
James CarrollRichard Parker
 
Robert Reich
 

John Kenneth Galbraith: His Life and Times

Sunday, April 17, 2005 2:00-3:30 PM

Richard Parker, author of John Kenneth Galbraith: His Life, His Politics, His Economics, Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton Administration, and author James Carroll discussed the legendary life and career of Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Richard Russo
 
 

2005 PEN/Hemingway Awards

Sunday, April 10, 2005 3:00-4:30 PM

PEN/New England and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum honor Chris Abani as the 2005 recipient of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for a distinguished first book of fiction for Graceland. Patrick Hemingway, the son of Nobel Prize-winning writer Ernest Hemingway, presents the prestigious literary award.  Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo, author of Mohawk, The Risk Pool, Nobody's Fool, Straight Man and Empire Falls, delivers the keynote address.

transcript »    

 
Dennis RossKevin Cullen
 
 

Brokering Peace with Ambassador Dennis Ross

Thursday, March 3, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

Ambassador Dennis Ross, Middle East envoy and chief peace negotiator in the presidential administrations of George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, discussed the issues which are at the heart of the struggle for peace. Kevin Cullen, former London Bureau Chief of The Boston Globe who covered the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland that led to the historic Good Friday peace agreement, moderated.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Senator John Kerry
 
 

A Conversation with Senator John Kerry

Monday, February 28, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA), the 2004 Democratic nominee for President of the United States,  shared his thoughts on U.S. policies both home and abroad with Pulitzer Prize winning Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Tim RussertLinda Wertheimer
 
 

A Conversation with Tim Russert

Tuesday, February 15, 2005 5:30-7:00 PM

Tim Russert, host of NBC’s Meet the Press, shared his insights on the state of our national politics today with NPR senior national correspondent Linda Wertheimer.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Paul FarmerAmartya Sen
 
 

Combating Global Poverty

Sunday, February 6, 2005 2:00-3:30 PM

Dr. Paul Farmer, who for the last 20 years has worked in Haiti with poor communities to combat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and Harvard economist Amartya Sen, who won a Noble Prize for his work on world poverty, discussed strategies to help eliminate the spread of disease and hunger in the developing world with Dr. Lincoln Chen, Director of Harvard's Center for Global Poverty.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Judy RichardsonJudith Veccione
 
Callie Crossley
 

Eyes on the Prize Revisited

Monday, January 17, 2005 2:00-3:30 PM

Callie Crossley, Judy Richardson and Judith Vecchione, producers of Henry Hampton’s award winning documentary “Eyes on the Prize” screen segments and discuss its making and historical impact. “Eyes on the Prize” is the story of the struggle for civil rights in the U.S. from 1954 – 1985. Over 20 million viewers watched “Eyes on the Prize,” Hampton’s miniseries that won six Emmys, a Peabody, the duPont Columbia Award for Excellence in Radio and Television and an Academy Award nomination.

transcript »    

 

The Crisis in Darfur

Thursday, December 9, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

Alex de Waal, Dr. Jennifer Leaning of Harvard Medical School, Eric Reeves of Smith College, Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, and William Schulz, Executive Director of Amnesty International, discussed the crisis in Darfur with PBS host Gail Harris.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Ben BradleeDon Hewitt
 
Meredith White, Ben Bradlee, Don Hewitt
 

What's Happened to the News?

Monday, December 6, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

Ben Bradlee, long-time Washington Post executive editor, and Don Hewitt, creator of "60 Minutes" and Executive Producer, CBS News, talked about how print and broadcast news have changed over the last 40 years.  Meredith White, former Executive Producer of ABC News and Senior Editor of Newsweek, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 

Life with the Hemingways

Monday, November 8, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

Valerie Hemingway, confidante and daughter-in-law of Ernest, shared stories of her years traveling with Ernest and Mary Hemingway.  Her book is Running with the Bulls.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Dick Gordon and Maureen Dowd
 
 

A Conversation with Maureen Dowd

Tuesday, October 26, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

New York Times Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Maureen Dowd discussed her new book, Bushworld, and offered her observations on the presidential race with Dick Gordon, host of WBUR’s The Connection.

transcript »     full video »    

 

The Art of Political Cartoons

Sunday, October 24, 2004 3:00-4:30 PM

Cartoonists Mike Peters of the Dayton Daily News, Mike Luckovitch of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Dan Wasserman of the Boston Globe presented a show-and-tell about their craft.  Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weeked Edition Saturday, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Alice RivlinGlenn Loury
 
 

The Economy in the 2004 Campaign

Monday, October 18, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

MacArthur Fellow and Senior Economic Advisor at the Brookings Institute, Alice Rivlin; former Secretary of Labor under President Clinton and Professor of Social and Economic Policy at Brandeis University, Robert Reich; and Professor of Economics at Boston University, Glenn Loury, examined the state of the economy with Boston Globe Pulitzer Prize winning correspondent Tom Oliphant. 

transcript »     full video »    

 

A Conversation with Robert C. Byrd

Tuesday, October 12, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

Senator Robert C. Byrd discussed his new book Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency with Dick Gordon, host of WBUR’s The Connection.

transcript »     full video »    

 

Presidents at War

Monday, October 4, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

Former JFK advisor Arthur Schlesinger,  veteran political analyst Kevin Phillips,  and journalist Tom Wicker explored the legacies of our wartime presidents. Political advisor, author, and professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, David Gergen, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
 
 

A Conversation with I.M. Pei

Sunday, September 26, 2004 3:00-4:30 PM

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Kennedy Library, architect I.M. Pei discussed the evolution and implementation of his design for the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum with Boston Globe Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Robert Campbell.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Jason DeParle
 
 

Welfare Reform

Monday, September 20, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

Jason DeParle, New York Times senior writer and author of American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation’s Drive to End Welfare; David Ellwood, Dean of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government; and Ron Haskins, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, examined our nation’s policies regarding the poor. William Julius Wilson of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Senator Edward Kennedy
 
 

Recovering from 9/11

Friday, September 10, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

Senator Edward Kennedy introduced Kenneth Feinberg, Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, who discussed efforts to compensate the victims' families of the 2001 terrorist attacks with Jack Rosenthal, President of The New York Times Company Foundation and creator of the 9/11 Neediest Fund. 

transcript »     full video »    

 

A Conversation with Norman Lear

Friday, July 30, 2004 11:00 AM-12:30 PM

Acclaimed television producer Norman Lear discussed the “Declare Yourself Project,” a non-partisan effort to promote youth voting.  Mr. Lear's copy of the Declaration of Independence was on display in the museum.  Congressman Barney Frank moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Madeleine Albright
 
 

Foreign Policy and the 2004 Campaign

Sunday, July 25, 2004 4:00-5:30 PM

One of the defining issues of President Kennedy's administration was his "internationalist" foreign policy.  As the 2004 presidential election unfolds, one of the debates that will likely define the race (and possibly determine the next president) wiill concern the role of the U.S. in the world.  Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Senator Joe Biden will discuss U.S. policy under the Bush administration and the possible direction of U.S foreign policy under a Democratic  President.  Tom Oliphant of the Boston Globe will moderate. 

transcript »    

 

50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

Monday, May 17, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

On the 50th anniversary of this landmark ruling rejecting "separate but equal" education for the races, Ernest Green, a member of the Little Rock Nine, Yale University Law Professor Drew Days, and Harvard University Graduate School of Education Professor and one of the founding co-directors of Harvard's Civil Rights Project Gary Orfield, discussed Brown's legacy.  Professor Sheryll Cashin of Georgetown Law School moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 

Averting "The Final Failure"

Sunday, May 16, 2004 2:00-3:30 PM

Sheldon M. Stern, former Kennedy Library historian, discussed his book, Averting The Final Failure, a first-ever narrative account of the secret ExComm meetings among President Kennedy and his most trusted advisors during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Boston Globe columnist Brian McGrory moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 

The Evolution of Political Advertising

Monday, May 3, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

Washington Post columnist David Broder, White House Press Secretary under President Clinton Dee Dee Myers, and national political analyst and commentator Mark Shields discussed the role of political advertising in presidential campaigns and reviewed some of the most effective and notorious ads in recent times. David Gergen, former White House advisor and professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Frank McCourt
 
 

A Conversation with Frank McCourt

Monday, April 26, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, discussed his 45 year career as a high school English teacher in New York City.  Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, moderated. 

transcript »     full video »    

 
Evan Thomas
 
 

RFK Remembered

Sunday, April 25, 2004 2:00-3:30 PM

Evan Thomas, author of Robert Kennedy: His Life, and Jack Newfield, author of RFK: A Memoir, discussed the life and legacy of Robert F. Kennedy with CNN's Jeff Greenfield, a former speechwriter for RFK.

transcript »     full video »    

 
David Halberstam
 
 

Is Iraq Vietnam?

Sunday, April 18, 2004 2:00-3:30 PM

Pulitzer Prize winning author David Halberstam and the New Yorker's Jon Lee Anderson (via phone from Baghdad) will compare the current occupation of Iraq with the war in Vietnam.  Host of WBUR's The Connection, Dick Gordon, will moderate. 

transcript »    

 

A Conversation with Sam Nunn

Monday, April 5, 2004 8:00-9:30 AM

Senator Sam Nunn discussed the threat of nuclear proliferation with Graham Allison of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Russell Banks
 
 

PEN Hemingway 2004 Awards

Sunday, April 4, 2004 3:00-4:00 PM

Russell Banks delivers the keynote address at the PEN Hemingway Awards ceremony hosted annually by the Kennedy Library.  Mr. Banks has won numerous awards and prizes for his work.  Continental Drift and Cloudsplitter were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 and 1998 respectively. Affliction was short listed for both the PEN/Faulkner Fiction Prize and the Irish International Prize.  The Kennedy Library is the major repository of Ernest Hemingway's works.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Paul Krugman
 
 

A Conversation with Paul Krugman

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

New York Times columnist and economist Paul Krugman discussed his book The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century with WBUR's Tom Ashbrook.

transcript »     full video »    

 
JFK and Ted WilliamsRoger Angell
 
Larry Lucchino
 

Celebrating America's National Pastime: Baseball

Tuesday, March 30, 2004 5:30-7:00 PM

On the eve of a new season, ABC's "Good Morning America" host Charles Gibson moderated a conversation about baseball's enduring hold on our national imagination with The New Yorker's Roger Angell, Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, NESN Red Sox analyst Jerry Remy, and Boston Globe writer Dan Shaughnessy.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Ernest Hemingway
 
 

Writers on War

Sunday, March 21, 2004 2:00-3:30 PM

Sean Hemingway, who edited a collection of his grandfather's writings titled Hemingway on War, shared his insights with Paul Fussell, author of The Great War and Modern Memory, and James Webb, Jr., author of the best selling Vietnam War novel Fields of Fire.  Harvard University's Susan Suleiman moderated.

full video »     Writers on War »

 
Hillary Rodham Clinton
 
 

A Conversation with Hillary Rodham Clinton

Sunday, March 14, 2004 3:00-4:30 PM

NPR Senior Correspondent Juan Williams moderated a conversation with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

transcript »     full video »    

 
Ellen GoodmanJames Carroll
 
 

The Common Sense of Ellen Goodman

Sunday, February 29, 2004 2:00 AM-3:30 PM

Boston Globe columnist James Carroll moderated a conversation with syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman about her new book Paper Trial: Common Sense in Uncommon Times. 

transcript »     full video »    

 

The Fog of War

Sunday, December 14, 2003 4:30-7:00 PM

Following a screening of The Fog of War, Frank Rich of the New York Times will moderate a discussion between the filmmaker, Errol Morris, and the subject of his documentary, Robert McNamara.

transcript »    

 

Human Rights Wars and America's Response

Tuesday, December 9, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

John Shattuck, former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and current CEO of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, discussed his new book Freedom on Fire: Human Rights Wars and America's Response with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power.

transcript »     full video »    

 

Space Exploration: Then and Now

Tuesday, December 2, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, and Dr. Harrison Schmitt, the pilot for Apollo 17, led a discussion of the United States' efforts in space exploration from the Kennedy years to the present.  Veteran news correspondent Morton Dean moderated.

full video »    

 

A Conversation with Mariane Pearl

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Mariane Pearl will discuss her new book The Brave Life and Death of Danny Pearl and the changing role of international journalism in the wake of this tragedy with host of WBUR's Here and Now Robin Young.

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Integrating the University of Alabama

Monday, November 17, 2003 5:30-7:30 PM

Robert Drew's documentary "Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment" chronicles the confrontation between President Kennedy and Governor Wallace in Alabama.  Following the film, Nicholas Katzenbach and Vivian Malone Jones (one of the two African American students who registered discussed this historic event in a conversation moderated by Juan Williams, NPR's Senior Correspondent.

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Filming JFK

Sunday, November 16, 2003 2:00-3:30 PM

In his films "Primary" and "New Frontier," Robert Drew revolutionized documentary filmmaking -- capturing the 1960 campaign and the first year of the Kennedy administration as never before.  After a screening of these films, film historian Thom Powers led a discussion of the films. 

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American Values:  Understanding Patriotism in Our Time

Wednesday, October 29, 2003 2:00-3:30 PM

Caroline Kennedy introduced a panel discussion with Jill Ker Conway, Louis Menand, Robert Pinsky, Daniel Schorr, and Roger Wilkins that explored the ideals upon which our country was founded and how they can best be fulfilled at home and abroad in today's world.  Former Harvard president, Derek Bok, moderated. 

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Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women in Politics

Sunday, October 26, 2003 4:00-5:30 PM

ABC Senior News correspondent Martha Raddatz will moderate this far-ranging conversation with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Governor Jane Swift about their experiences in the national political arena. 

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Recollecting JFK

Wednesday, October 22, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

In a conversation with New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis, Theodore Sorensen, Special Counsel to the President, will reflect on his years of service to President Kennedy and on JFK's vision for our nation and its role in the world. 

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The Presidency of John F. Kennedy

Sunday, October 19, 2003 2:00-3:30 PM

The Kennedy Library continued its examination of 20th century presidents with a look 40 years later at John F. Kennedy featuring historians Alan Brinkley, Arthur Schlesinger, Michael Kazin, Randall Kennedy and Lizabeth Cohen.

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Covering the War in Iraq

Monday, September 29, 2003 5:30-6:00 PM

NPR foreign correspondent Anne Garrels discussed her recent experience covering the war in Iraq with WBUR's Dick Gordon.

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A Conversation with Stephen Breyer

Sunday, September 21, 2003 4:00-5:30 PM

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer engaged in a discussion with NPR legal correspondent Nina Totenberg concerning the judicial issues facing the country today.

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A Conversation with Paul "Red" Fay

Sunday, June 15, 2003 2:00-3:00 PM

Paul "Red" Fay, who served as Undersecretary of the Navy in the Kennedy Administration, recounts his friendship with John F. Kennedy, beginning as PT-109 crewmates in World War II.

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On Kennedy and King

Wednesday, June 11, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

On the 40th anniversary of President Kennedy's address to the nation on civil rights, historian Roger Wilkins, author of Jefferson's Pillow: America and the Dilemma of Black Patriotism and biographer Taylor Branch, author of Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, discuss Martin Luther King, Jr., JFK, and the civil rights milestones of 1963.

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The U.S. and the World: A European Perspective

Monday, June 2, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

NPR's senior European correspondent Sylvia Poggioli engaged in a conversation with WBUR's Dick Gordon on how Europeans perceive President Bush, U.S. foreign policy, and the crisis in the American Catholic Church.

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A Conversation with Former President Bill Clinton

Wednesday, May 28, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Senator Edward Kennedy introduced former President Bill Clinton, who discussed domestic and foreign policy with historian Michael Beschloss. 

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Robert Dallek
 
 

Dallek on Kennedy

Tuesday, May 20, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Prize-winning author Robert Dallek launches his newest biography An Unfinished Life;:John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963.  William Leuchtenburg moderates. 

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Pandemic: Facing AIDS

Monday, May 19, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Join Rory Kennedy, youngest daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, at a premiere of her newest documentary film, Pandemic: Facing AIDS, which depicts the challenges and triumphs of five ordinary people in different regions of the world living with AIDS.  Nan Richardson, founder of Umbrage Editions and one of her collabortors on the project, joins her.  Jeanne Blake, medical reporter for Boston's NBC affiliate, moderates. 

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A Conversation with John Edwards

Sunday, May 4, 2003 2:00-3:30 PM

Senator John Edwards, presidential candidate in 2004, discussed his positions on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues facing the nation.  Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant moderated.

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Race and Presidential Politics

Monday, April 28, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Former Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, Harvard sociologist Michael Dawson, and Jeremy Meyer, author of Running on Race, Racial Politics in Presidential Campaigns, 1960-2000 discussed the role of race in past and future presidential elections.

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The March on Washington

Monday, April 14, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Congressman John Lewis leads a discussion on the March on Washington, its planning, implementation, and the effect it had on the coutnry.  Harvard University's Randall Kennedy  moderates.

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PEN Hemingway Awards

Sunday, April 13, 2003 3:00-4:00 PM

Former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky will provide remarks as part of the PEN/Hemingway Award ceremony hosted annually by the Kennedy Library which is home to the Hemingway archives. 

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Non-Violence and the Quest for Civil Rights

Saturday, March 29, 2003 4:00-5:30 PM

Journalist Juan Williams will facilitate a conversation about the role of non-violence in the civil rights movement with civil rights leaders Diane Nash,  the Reverend James Lawson and former Kennedy administration official John Seigenthaler. 

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A Conversation with Howard Dean

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 4:00-5:30 PM

Former Governor Howard Dean, presidential candidate in 2004, discussed his positions on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues facing the nation.  Joe Klein moderated.

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A Conversation with Bob Kerrey

Monday, March 24, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Former Senator Bob Kerrey will engage in a wide-ranging conversation on Vietnam and its aftermath, international justice, war crimes and terrorism, and the importance of pulic service and political ccourage in our time with the host of WBUR's The Connection Dick Gordon.

 

Eleanor Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy

Monday, March 17, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Allida Black, editor of the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, will lead a discussion on these two towering figures of the 20th century and their positions on politics, international affairs, and human rights.

 

Rogue States and Weapons of Mass Destruction

Tuesday, March 11, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Former National security Advisor Sandy Berger and former Assistant Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter discussed how the U.S. should best respond to the growing threat of weapons of mass destruction throughout the world.  WBUR's Bill Delaney moderated. 

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The Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower

Sunday, March 9, 2003 4:00-5:30 PM

2003 marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of President Eisenhower's eight years in office.  The Library continues its examination of 20th century presidents with a session featuring President Eisenhower's granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower, and presidential historian Fred Greenstein, author of The HiddenHand Presidency: Eisenhower as Leader discussing the policies and style of President Eisenhower.  Richard Immerman moderates. 

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Human Rights and the Legacy of Robert F. Kennedy

Monday, March 3, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis moderates a conversation with Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, author of Speak Truth to Power and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, Loune Viaud, 2002 recipient of the RFK Human Rights Award, and Peter Edelman, former legislative aide to Robert F. Kennedy and author of Searching for America's Heart: RFK and the Renewal of Hope.

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"Stories I Tell My Friends"

Monday, February 10, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Bob Schieffer, chief CBS News Washington correspondent and moderator of Face the Nation, shared stories from his new book, This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV, chronicling the major public figures he has covered and the sweep of American history he has reported on over the past 40 years as a journalist.

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Senator John F. Kerry

Sunday, February 9, 2003 7:00-8:30 PM

Senator John Kerry, presidential candidate in 2004, engaged in a discussion on issues including foreign affaris, environmental protection, domestic security, civil rights and liberties, and the economy.  Moderating the conversation was former Boston Globe columnist David Nyhan. 

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Bystanders to Genocide

Monday, February 3, 2003 5:30-7:00 PM

Samantha Power, author of A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, and Elizabeth Neuffer, author of The Key to My Neighbor's House: Seeking Justice in Bosnia and Rwanda, examined U.S. responses to genocide since the Holocaust.  Jacqueline Bhabha, Executive Director of the Harvard University Committee on Human Rights and lecturer at both Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government, moderated. 

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On Corporate Responsibility

Tuesday, December 17, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

In the wake of the upheavals in corporate America, Orin Smith, President and CEO of Starbucks Coffee; Richard Donahue, Vice Chairman of the Board of Nike; and, Eliot Spitzer, New York Attorney General, discussed corporate responsibility both in general and as it relates to the advancement of human rights at home and abroad.  Rosabeth Moss Kanter, of the Harvard Business School, moderated.

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Race and Democracy

Wednesday, December 11, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

In her newest book, The Miner's Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting Power, Transforming Democracy, Professor Lani Guinier proposes new ways to confront race in the twenty-first century, calling for the building of grass-roots, cross-racial coalitions to reform the process of our democracy.

 

Combating AIDS: The Human Rights Perspective

Tuesday, December 10, 2002 7:00-8:30 PM

The pandemic of AIDS has cost over 24 million lives. On International Human Rights Day, this forum, co-sponsored by a number of Boston-based human rights organizations, explored the world's response to AIDS through a human rights perspective.  Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered opening remarks and was followed by a panel discussion with Eric Sawyer, founder of ACT UP; Sandra Thurman, Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy in the Clinton administration; Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners In Health; and George Muwanguzi, Director of the Heath Rights Action Group in Uganda.  Susanna Sirkin, Deputy Director of Physicians for Human Rights, moderated. 

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Strategies and Tactics in the Struggle for Civil and Human Rights

Monday, November 18, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Are the tactics that successfully led to the end of legalized segregation in the United States effective in current efforts to advance civil rights and human rights at home and abroad? Callie Crossley of WGBH moderates a discussion with Reverend Jesse Jackson.

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The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Media

Monday, October 28, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

What role did the media play during the Missile Crisis in the attempt to avert the nuclear war? Should our country face another confrontation of this magnitude how would today's media respond? Panelists included White House correspondents Sander Vanocur and Robert Pierpont and former FCC Chair Newton Minow.

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On the Brink: Curbing Iraq's Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction

Thursday, October 24, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Once again the U.S. and the world were debating whether to invade a country without knowing whether it possesses weapons of mass destruction - and whether invasion will do more to prevent or provoke their use. In this session numerous experts including former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter examined the most recent developments in U.S. foreign policy toward Iraq.

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On the Brink: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Sunday, October 20, 2002 4:00-5:30 PM

From the White House to the Kremlin to Havana, Kennedy advisors Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. and Theodore Sorensen, Nikita Khrushchev's son, Sergei Khrushchev, and Cuban Ambassador Dagoberto Rodriguez discuss the events of October 1962.

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The Art of Political Humor

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Humorist Al Franken, White House reporter Helen Thomas, and Senator Alan Simpson discussed the use of humor in our national politics.  CNN senior correspondent Jeff Greenfield moderated. 

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Cuban Missile Crisis: An Historical Perspective

Sunday, October 6, 2002 4:00-5:30 PM

How do historians now view the missile crisis and what effect did this event have on Cuban-Soviet relations? Historians James Blight, Philip Brenner, Julia Sweig, and Svetlana Savranskaya discuss the crisis and its aftermath in a session moderated by Graham Allison.

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Thirteen Days: An Insider's Perspective

Tuesday, October 1, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Special Counsel to the President Theodore Sorensen will discuss the Cuban Missile Crisis as they experienced it as senior advisors to President Kennedy. Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant will moderate.

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James Meredith and the Integration of Ole Miss.

Monday, September 30, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

On the fortieth anniversary of the registration of James Meredith as the first black student at the University of Mississippi, Mr. Meredith joins with Kennedy administration officials Burke Marshall and John Doar, and Ernest Green, a member of the Little Rock Nine, in a forum moderated by journalist Juan Williams.

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Seeking Common Ground: Civil Rights and Human Rights

Wednesday, September 25, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

What lessons can human rights workers throughout the globe learn from the civil rights struggle in the United States? Join Elaine Jones, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Wade Henderson, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Gay McDougall, International Human Rights Law Group, Ken Roth, Human Rights Watch, and Lynn Walker Huntley, Southern Education Foundation, as they discuss the historical and contemporary challenges facing both movements.

 

Confronting the Terrorist Threat

Tuesday, September 24, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Before the tragic events of September 11, 2001, former Senators Gary Hart and Warren Rudman, co-chairs of the U.S. Commission on National Security, warned of the risks of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. In this forum, moderated by terrorism expert  Juliette Kayyem, they discuss our country's response to terrorism and the proposal to form a cabinet-level agency for homeland security.

 

Human Rights Then and Now

Monday, September 23, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Veteran human rights leader Jeri Laber discusses her new memoir describing her experiences as the founder of Helsinki Watch and her efforts to advance human rights throughout the world.

 

Ask what you can do for your country: National Summit on Service

Monday, June 17, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

One of the most enduring legacies of President John F. Kennedy is his call for Americans to serve their country. Senators John McCain and Evan Bayh lead a town meeting on national service and discuss their pending legislation to create more service opportunities by expanding Americorps and modifying the college work-study program, GI Bill benefits, and enlistment procedures for those wishing to join the military.  Jonathan Alter, senior correspondent and columnist for Newsweek, moderates. 

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Callie Crossley
 
 

Defending an Open Society

Wednesday, June 5, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

In responding to terrorism on its own shores, how can the U.S. protect the security of its citizens without unduly restricting civil liberties? Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, leads an examination of the current U.S. response to the terrorist threat in the aftermath of September 11. This session is moderated by Callie Crossley, news commentator and producer.

 

Citizen McCain

Monday, May 13, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Senators John McCain and Russell Feingold won the Profile in Courage Award in 1999 for their legislative efforts to promote campaign finance reform. Veteran journalist Elizabeth Drew discusses her new book, Citizen McCain, with former Boston Globe columnist David Nyhan who covered McCain in his bid for the presidency in 2000.

 

The State of Political Courage Today

Monday, May 6, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Caroline Kennedy convenes some of our country's most respected commentators to discuss the state of courage in our existing political climate. PBS News Anchor Gwen Ifill will moderate a discussion with past Profile in Courage Award recipient Representative Hilda Solis; children's advocate Marian Wright Edelman; and journalists E.J. Dionne, Al Hunt, Bill Kovach, and Steve Roberts. This forum coincides with the publication of Profiles in Courage in Our Time, edited by Caroline Kennedy, with chapters on the past recipients of the Profile in Courage Award.

 

The Presidency of Harry S. Truman

Sunday, April 28, 2002 2:00-4:00 PM

As part of the Kennedy Library's examination of 20th century presidents, noted historians Alan Brinkley and Melvin Leffler led an analysis of our 33rd President who faced challenges not unlike those confronting our country today.

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Senator Edward Kennedy
 
 

The Challenge at Home

Sunday, April 28, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Senator Edward M. Kennedy sets out both the domestic and foreign policy challenges facing our country as he sees them from his unique historical and political vantage point of four decades of leadership in the United States Senate.

 

Is the Human Rights Era Ending?

Monday, April 22, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Michael Ignatieff, Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights policy at Harvard, leads a discussion concerning whether in the aftermath of September 11, the era of human rights has come and gone.

 

What Would JFK Do?

Sunday, April 21, 2002 4:00-5:30 PM

Special Counsel to President Kennedy Theodore Sorensen articulates President Kennedy's core beliefs about human nature, international relations, and the role of the U.S. in the world - and applies them to the current international situation.

 

The U.S. and the Middle East: Strengthening the Dialogue

Thursday, April 11, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan leads a discussion of U.S. humanitarian efforts and how they can be more effective in helping to forge new alliances with those living in the Arab and Muslim world.

 

Challenges at Home and Abroad: Past and Present

Monday, April 8, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

From World War II pilot to presidential candidate, George McGovern has been "in the arena" through a half century of history. He and veteran CBS News correspondent Bob Schieffer discuss our nation's past and the challenges facing the U.S. and the world in these difficult times.

 

Democratic Gubernatorial Debate

Monday, April 1, 2002 6:30-8:00 PM

All of the major Democratic candidates for Governor are invited to discuss the pressing issues facing Massachusetts and to debate who should be the party's challenger to Acting Governor Jane Swift.

 

Ending Global Poverty

Monday, March 25, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Jeffrey Sachs, renowned expert on the economic and social devastation of AIDS in developing countries, was named by Kofi Annan as Special UN Advisor on poverty, health, and education. Professor Sachs discussed the challenge of ending poverty that afflicts so much of the world today.

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Seeking Common Ground: Civil Rights and Human Rights

Friday, March 15, 2002 7:30-9:00 PM

One of the country's best-loved entertainers, Harry Belafonte has also been at the forefront of our nation's struggle for civil rights and the international effort to promote human rights throughout the globe. In this forum, Mr. Belafonte launched a major new civil rights and human rights initiative at the Kennedy Library by reflecting on America's painful history of racial injustice and commenting on the challenges that remain to advance human rights both at home an abroad.  Anthony Lewis, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times writer, moderated.

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A Reporter's View from the Frontlines

Wednesday, March 13, 2002 4:00-5:30 PM

CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour - who has covered the U.S. response to terrorism in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Somalia - shared first-hand accounts from her most recent reporting.

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Theodore Roosevelt: The White House Years

Tuesday, March 5, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

As part of the Kennedy Library Presidential Historian series, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edmund Morris discussed his new, best-selling book, Theodore Rex, the second of a proposed three volume biography.

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Brokering Peace in War-Torn Lands

Monday, March 4, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Former Senator George Mitchell discusses his experience as a negotiator in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, mediating among centuries-old antagonists.

 

Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years

Sunday, February 3, 2002 5:30-7:00 PM

Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas, Kennedy biographer Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Irish novelist Edna O'Brien, and Tiffany executive John Loring  remember Jacqueline Kennedy and her enduring hold on the world's imagination.   Boston Globe columnist Ellen Goodman moderates. 

 

Reassessing the Johnson Presidency

Wednesday, January 30, 2002 5:15-7:00 PM

In Reaching for Glory: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1964 - 1965, Michael Beschloss interprets the secretly-recorded conversations of LBJ's presidency during the crucial years in which Johnson demands the passage of civil rights legistation, promotes the Great Society programs, and escalates the war in Vietnam.

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Protecting Human Rights

Sunday, January 6, 2002 4:00-5:30 PM

As United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson has traveled the globe in an effort to advance freedom, promote peace, and protect human rights.  In this forum, she will comment on the roles of, and relationship between, the United Nations and the United States in these endeavors.  Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times writer Anthony Lewis moderates. 

 

Assessing the Military's Options

Wednesday, December 12, 2001 5:30-7:00 PM

As Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Wesley K. Clark oversaw NATO's military intervention in the former Yugoslavia.  Based on his new book Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat, he comments on the current U.S. military and diplomatic efforts to confront and debilitate international terrorist networks.

 

Searching for a Better World in the Face of Terrorism

Sunday, December 9, 2001 4:00-5:30 PM

Prior to the terrorist attack in New York, CARE, one of the world's pre-eminent humanitarian relief and development organizations, was leading the fight against hunger and for healtheir living conditions for the Afghan people.  Join Peter Bell, President of CARE, as he discusses the challenge of protecting those relief workers and the importance of continuing relief efforts in developing countries as a means to combat divison, oppression, and terror at its roots. 

 

Defining Style: Jacqueline Kennedy's White House Years

Sunday, November 18, 2001 4:00-5:30 PM

Hamish Bowles, Euopean Editor-at-Large of Vogue and guest curator of Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years, will discuss how Mrs. Kennedy helped to revolutionize the taste of the nation and became a leading promoter of American arts and culture.  Sponsored by the Boston Globe.

 

Defending an Open Society

Wednesday, November 14, 2001 5:30-7:00 PM

In responding to terrorism on its own shores, how can the U.S. protect security and civil liberties?  NPR chief legal correspondent Nina Totenberg moderates a panel including John Shattuck, former Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and ACLU Washington Director, Michael Horrowitz, Nancy Gertner, and Philip Heymann. 

 

Bringing International Criminals to Justice

Monday, November 12, 2001 5:30-7:00 PM

How should the world community punish those who commit crimes against humanity?  Justice Richard Goldstone, former Chief Prosecutor for the International Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, and Michael Ignatieff, Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, discuss the developmen