Doris Kearns Goodwin to Speak at Contemporary Issues Forum

The noted author and presidential historian will examine the role of the American President in a pivotal election year.

Noted author and presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin with two of her books.

Noted author and presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin with two of her books.

Noted author and presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Noted author and presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

In a year when there are hotly contested political races on the local, state, and national levels, the University of Connecticut is welcoming noted author, presidential historian, and political pundit Doris Kearns Goodwin to campus.

Goodwin will be speaking at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. on Oct. 18. In her presentation, “The Lessons of History: Doris Kearns Goodwin on the American Presidents,” she will offer historical perspectives on the race to the top. In this important election year, she is also expected to offer insights and asides on the current presidential contest between Democrat incumbent Barack Obama and his Republican rival, Mitt Romney.

A Woodrow Wilson Fellow while at Harvard University, where she earned her Ph.D. in government, Goodwin became an assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, during the last year of his presidency. She earned a Pulitzer Prize for her book No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: the American Homefront During World War II, and is a frequent guest on politically-themed television broadcasts such as NBC’s Meet the Press.

Goodwin is a keen student of history, who has also written books profiling former presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Abraham Lincoln. In addition, she has written what many consider the definitive baseball narrative Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir, a heartfelt look at a childhood that was marred by the defection of the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1957.

Goodwin’s appearance is part of the Edmund Fusco Contemporary Issues Forum, a program designed to bring outstanding scholars, leaders, and policy makers to the UConn campus to share their knowledge and perspectives with students, faculty, and staff, as well as the general public.

The UConn Co-op will have a selection of Goodwin’s writings available for purchase at the Jorgensen on the evening of the event, and she will sign books immediately following her presentation. During her time on campus, Goodwin will also spend time meeting with representatives of several student groups.

There is no charge to attend the Forum. However, tickets are required and will be made available through the Jorgensen box office. Faculty, staff, and students with a current UConn ID may obtain tickets starting on Sept. 26 by visiting the box office Monday through Friday, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. There is a four-ticket limit per person.

Members of the general public may obtain tickets starting Oct. 8, by contacting the Jorgensen box office during regular hours; online (Jorgensen.uconn.edu/events/); by phone (860-486-4226); or by fax (860-486-6781). There is a four-ticket limit per person.

Groups of five or more, or those requiring seating accommodations, should contact the Office of University Events at 860-486-1038 or via email: rsvp@uconn.edu