WHO: American University Experts
WHAT: American University experts are available to speak about the legacies of President John F. Kennedy, from his Congressional term through his presidency, including his role in the civil rights movement, foreign policy with the Soviets, establishment of the Peace Corps, and his memorable speeches.
WHEN: November 13- ongoing
WHERE: In-Studio, via Skype, via telephone, or at American University
CONTACT: American University Communications at 202-885-5950 or [email protected]
The Legacy of JFK’s Presidency
Allan Lichtman distinguished professor of history for American University’s College of Arts & Sciences, is an expert on the presidency, presidential campaigns, voting behavior, public opinion, and American political history. Lichtman is available to discuss the legacy of President Kennedy from an historical point of view and its contemporary meaning.
Leonard Steinhorn, professor of Public Communication and an affiliate professor of History at American University, is an expert on American politics, the presidency, culture and media, race relations, and the 1960s. He is author of The Greater Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy, and co-author of By the Color of Our Skin: The Illusion of Integration and the Reality of Race. Steinhorn is the founding editor of PunditWire, where political speechwriters comment on the news. He currently teaches about JFK's legacy at American University and is able to comment on President Kennedy and his impact on the baby boom generation and younger generations.
James Thurber, director of the American University Center for Congressional & Presidential Studies, is an expert on U.S. politics. During his career he served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senators Hubert H. Humphrey, William Brock, Adlai Stevenson III, and U.S. Representative David Obey. Thurber’s latest publications are Rivals for Power: Presidential-Congressional Relations (2013, 5th Ed.) and Campaigns and Elections, American Style (2013, 4th Ed.) with Candice Nelson. Thurber can address President Kennedy’s political career from Congress through the presidency and the legacies he left in both institutions.
JFK’s Civil Rights Legacy
Julian Bond, distinguished adjunct professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs, is a lifelong civil rights leader. For more than a decade, Bond chaired the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In his youth, he co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which played a major role in organizing freedom rides and sit-ins to fight for civil rights, and took part in organizing the March on Washington 50 years ago. Bond is available to discuss President Kennedy’s civil rights record and how Kennedy advanced the cause to end segregation during the early 1960s, when the public was still deeply divided on issues of race.
Diplomatic and Foreign Policy Legacies
James Goldgeier, dean of American University’s School of International Service, is an expert on U.S. foreign policy, U.S.-Russia relations, and NATO. Goldgeier held appointments at the State Department and on the National Security Council. His books include Power and Purpose: U.S. Policy toward Russia after the Cold War (co-authored by Michael McFaul, U.S. Ambassador to Russia). Goldgeier can speak about how President Kennedy changed the Cold War paradigm through dialogue with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War and his forward-thinking steps to achieve peace that set the tone for future presidents. He can also speak about Kennedy’s establishment of the Peace Corps.
JFK Speech Legacy
Robert Lehrman is a public communication professor at American University. He is a novelist, teacher, and has served as a speechwriter for dozens of Democratic political figures including Vice President Al Gore. He is author of the book The Political Speechwriter’s Companion (2009). Lehrman has taught public speaking at American University since 1998, and in 2005 created the university’s first course in speechwriting. He is able to comment on the power of President Kennedy's speeches and how his speeches compare to other political orators both past and present.
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