here - Off The Record

1938 - 2013
May 14, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY CLUB
New York City
on thE r EcorD
With APPreCiAtioN
We owe a debt to the 19 women who, in 1938,
organized the Foreign policy association’s first
for-women-only speakers luncheon. their legacy is
very much alive today in the longest running women’s
foreign policy lecture series in the United states.
rory hAyDen
OTR Chairman
off-the-record was formed at a time when the
international order was in flux and the United states
was beginning to play a role that would see it emerge
as the world’s superpower. today’s lectures address
a rapidly changing world order, defined by both
potential and threat.
We are honored by our extraordinary roster of distinguished speakers,
inspired by the commitment of our members, grateful to noel Lateef and
his outstanding Fpa team for unwavering support, and deeply appreciative
of the incredible work done by the 14 chairmen who have preceded me.
this celebration is for you.
For institutions no less than for individuals,
milestones present an opportunity to reflect
upon both the destination and the journey. as the
off-the-record Lecture series observes its 75th
anniversary, we at the Foreign policy association
are especially grateful to our otr colleagues,
who are dedicated to spreading knowledge from
which a wise foreign policy must spring.
the Foreign policy association takes great
pride in otr’s success, since we together serve
as catalysts to develop awareness, understanding,
and informed opinion on american foreign policy and global issues.
such joint events as the Elizabeth French hitchcock Lecture are widely
anticipated by our members and demonstrate our shared commitment to
fulfilling our vital mission.
noel v. lAteef
FPA President and CEO
2 • anniversary celebration
on thE rEcorD
our sPeAKer
F
EW BroaDcast JoUrnaLists
are more experienced, accomplished, or
honored than Lesley stahl. after joining
cBs news in 1972 as a reporter in its
Washington bureau, she covered the Watergate
break-in and its aftermath and went on to serve
as White house correspondent during three
administrations. she was the longtime moderator
of Face the Nation before being named 60 Minutes
correspondent in 1991.
ms. stahl has interviewed key world leaders
including margaret thatcher, Boris Yeltsin, Yasser
arafat, Yitzhak rabin, Benjamin netanyahu, Jimmy
carter, ronald reagan, George h.W. Bush, Bill
clinton, and nicolas sarkozy.
her incisive middle East reports in 2010, one on
the U.s. withdrawal from iraq, and one on the israelipalestinian conflict, won the overseas press club’s
Edward r. murrow award for best interpretation of
international affairs. her recent interviews, one with
a former cia official about “enhanced interrogation
techniques” and another with an ex-mossad
chief about a possible israeli strike on iran, made
international headlines.
ms. stahl’s long list of major journalism awards
includes numerous Emmys, including one for
Lifetime achievement , the alfred i. dupontcolumbia University award, and one for overall
excellence in television by the radio and television
news Directors association. she received an
honorary doctorate from colgate University in 2008.
in her book, Reporting Live, about her reporting
on Washington, she observes that, “television had
become the center of campaigning and governing
but also of diplomacy and decision-making.”
lesley stAhl
CBS News
“Television
had become
the center of
campaigning
and governing
but also of
diplomacy
and decisionmaking.”
anniversary celebration • 3
past otr chairmEn :
on the record
Donna
Dillon
Manning
Donna
Dillon
Manning
1987-1991
1987-1991
I first attended OTR in the early 1970s. It met at the Carnegie
Endowment International Center, but size forced us to look for a new
location for our two sets of eight meetings. I was Speakers Committee
Chair part of this time, challenged with finding 16 great speakers each
year. We were rarely turned down; however, I learned that you did not
invite someone from D.C. in the winter and that reporters could cancel
in the blink of an eye, e.g., Dan Rather during the Achille Lauro hostage
crisis. We sought the few women speakers who were considered experts
in foreign affairs. What a difference a few decades and three female
secretaries of state can make. One memorable meeting was moderating
a panel with Bella Abzug, Geraldine Ferraro, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
signaling the role women were going to play in international affairs.
Jacqueline
M. Garrett
Jacqueline
M. Garrett
1995-1997
1995-1997
My tenure was filled with major changes. The salmonella poisoning
two years earlier made it imperative that we move the organization from
St. Vartan Cathedral to a more conducive location. We had long discussed
a move, but the effects of this catastrophic incident, resulting in the
hospitalization of hundreds and the death of three, made our next step
clear. Our search led us to the New York City Bar Association, our present
home. Some were conflicted about the move; it was not an easy time.
We realized this was an opportunity to reduce our programs from two
separate series to one, thus reducing our membership by half. Running
two nine-month series had become unwieldy. We offered an optional lunch
and changed the name from “Off-the-Record Luncheon Series”
to “Off-the-Record Lecture Series.” This geographic move from the far
east side to the near west side made OTR even more popular.
4 • Anniversary Celebration
on the record
Anne
Sitrick
Anne
Sitrick
1997-2003
1997-2003
In my six-year term, there were many memorable events. Two stand
out. First, I sought quality speakers, especially for our first lecture. In
July, I contacted Tom Brokaw, who happily consented to be our opening
speaker. Ten days before, Tom called to say that he had a conflict. I had
one week to find a stellar substitute. I called my friend Les Gelb, then
president of the Council on Foreign Relations. He suggested I call a
young man new at the Council's renowned magazine Foreign Affairs and
to tell him Les said he needed "some exposure" and should accept my
invitation. I called the relatively unknown Fareed Zakaria, who agreed to
be our opening speaker in what was one of his first public appearances.
I am proud that in an April 2001 article the Financial Times called OTR
“the women of New York's best kept secret.”
Ann
J. Charters
Ann
J. Charters
2003-2008
2003-2008
Off-the-Record isn't prescient but it certainly looked that way. Former
National Security adviser Robert McFarland spoke on Russia days after
Yukos oligarch Khodorkovsky was arrested, shattering Putin's rule of law.
OTR arranged for former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to be
interviewed by Anne-Marie Slaughter, later the first woman director of
State's policy planning. Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers
opined that the U.S. economic recovery was in the seventh inning, months
before returning to D.C.
Our successful lectures were a result of vigorous debates at speakers
committee meetings. We hashed out what foreign policy issues would be
paramount six months out. Booking speakers six months ahead, rather
than two, meant we all looked younger longer. I relished members who
wouldn't miss a lecture even when speakers opposed their views, because
OTR chose carefully. One challenge remains: having speakers call on
women first, not men, for questions.
Anniversary Celebration • 5
on the record
Jacqueline
Adams
Jacqueline
Adams
2008-2010
2008-2010
I am particularly proud that OTR was flexible enough to meld my interests
in both the visual arts and foreign policy. We held a Patrons’ event about
U.S.-Cuban relations in an art gallery, featuring Cuban artists; we explored
Iraq after the U.S. invasion by looking at Richard Mosse’s photographs
and hearing his firsthand observations; we hosted three Elizabeth French
Hitchcock Lectures at MoMA, with then-Harvard University President
Lawrence Summers, CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour and
Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan.
Most memorable were the 65th and 70th anniversaries. In 2003, I led
the discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Arthur Schlesinger,
Jr., whose wit, insights and perfect recall of events during the Kennedy
Administration were thrilling. In 2008, I introduced celebrated historian
and author Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose analysis of President Lincoln’s
Team of Rivals was the perfect prelude to an historic presidential election.
Wendy
E. Dietze
Wendy
E. Dietze
2010-2012
2010-2012
Two speaker themes stand out. The first was our response to our
members’ interest in cybersecurity and the Internet’s role in foreign
affairs. We had a terrific lecture by Jared Cohen (now with Google),
who was the reigning State Department expert for both Condoleezza
Rice and Hillary Clinton. We also had a thought-provoking presentation
on new media and the Internet by Huffington Post founder Arianna
Huffington. Her talk coincided with our board’s significant upgrading of
our OTR website. The second major theme we pursued was providing
greater insight and analysis on the Middle East, an increasingly vital
and volatile region. We hosted Ahmed Rashid, Ali Soufan, Karen Elliott
House, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Hooman Majd, as well as Ambassador
Ryan Crocker. They gave us their memorable firsthand accounts of a
critical and unpredictable part of the world.
6 • Anniversary Celebration
Past OTR Chairmen
Elinor Miner Lamont
1946–1948*
Mary L. Belknap
1979–1983
Anne Sitrick
1997–2003 Mary Hand Darrell
1948–1961
race “Gay” Sloane
G
Vance
1983–1987
Ann J. Charters
2003–2008
Mildred Adams
Kenyon
1961–1970
lizabeth French
E
Hitchcock
1970–1976
oris C. Halaby
D
1976–1979
onna Dillon
D
Manning
1987–1991
Judith L. Biggs
1991–1995
Jacqueline M.
Garrett
1995–1997
Jacqueline Adams
2008–2010
endy E. Dietze
W
2010–2012
*Before 1946, OTR
did not have elected
chairmen.
Anniversary Celebration • 7
otr past chairman
75 YeArs of leCtures
1918
From the League of Free nations association, organized to support
international peace after World War i, the Foreign policy association
forms and begins monthly lectures at the astor hotel in the 1920s. Female
members find themselves at a disadvantage in the large setting.
1938
a group of 19 prominent women, led by Eleanor robson Belmont, start
a series of lectures for women only, to be conducted in smaller groups
and off the record, so that speakers are not quoted in the press. the first
speaker is Leland stowe, a pulitzer prize-winning journalist, at the hotel
pierre on october 19.
1940
the Fpa and the Women’s Group set up office and meeting space at
midston house on madison avenue.
1946
the Women’s Group organizes more formally and elects Elinor miner
Lamont as chairman.
1950
the group is officially named the off-the-record Luncheon series and
adjusts its program to attract a larger foreign policy audience.
1954
otr moves its lectures to the carnegie Endowment international center
on East 46th street, across from the United nations headquarters.
1958
otr splits its lectures into two groups, series a and B, as membership
approaches 300.
1960s
otr formally affiliates with Fpa and gains board representation through its
chairman, mildred adams Kenyon.
1975
otr hosts margaret thatcher four years before her rise to British prime
minister. membership reaches 1,000.
1978
the Elizabeth French hitchcock memorial Lecture is endowed by family
members of the former otr chairman, to serve otr and Fpa members.
the first speaker is Bridget mccall oppenheimer, founder of the south
african organization, Women for peace.
8 • anniversary celebration
1979
otr moves to a larger facility, the auditorium of st. Vartan cathedral
at 630 second avenue, to accommodate a membership of 1,300.
1990s
otr eliminates the second series and reduces its membership.
Lunch purchase becomes optional after a catered meal causes a tragic
food poisoning, in october 1992. the series adopts a new name,
the off-the-record Lecture series.
1996
otr moves its lectures to the association of the Bar of the city of new
York on West 44th street.
1998
otr celebrates its 60th anniversary with Un high commissioner
for refugees sadako ogata.
2001
otr creates a new category of membership, patron, to provide additional
evening events and lunches with speakers.
Fareed Zakaria speaks on “terrorism in the age of Globalization,” one
month after the terrorist attacks of september 11.
2003
otr celebrates its 65th anniversary with historian arthur m. schlesinger, Jr.
2005
the otr logo is redesigned and modernized. otr’s website,
www.off-the-record.org, goes live.
2008
otr celebrates its 70th anniversary with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.
2009
one month after receiving the nobel prize in Economics, paul Krugman
speaks on the world financial crisis.
2013
otr celebrates its 75th anniversary.
anniversary celebration • 9
For thE rEcorD :
MeMBers’ CoMMeNts
Memorable
Speakers
“My favorite
was always
tom Brokaw.”
“Gay Vance brought
in the most interesting
speakers…lecturers like
Marshall schulman.”
“david Brooks,
doris Kearns Goodwin,
ryan Crocker,
Jane fonda.”
“one of my first
lectures:
Gary hart.”
“i remember the
Chinese ambassador
who so stuck to the
official party line
that people were
astonished.”
“tom friedman,
great wit and
knowledge.”
“Mona
el-Ghobashy’s
lecture on egypt.”
“Vali Nasr and
trita Parsi: each time
i see either one on
television, i say,
thanks to the otr
lectures.”
“Mark lyall Grant,
richard haass,
richard holbrooke,
frank Wisner.”
“senator tim Wirth’s
“Cybersecurity was
discussion of global exceptional. tino Cuellar gave
population growth.” us entrée into another world.”
10• anniversary celebration
Insight and
Understanding
“thanks to the otr
lectures, i have a deeper
understanding
of ‘why they hate us.’ ”
“i find the
audience reaction
intriguing.”
“Just to be able
to hear experienced
speakers live and
to be able to engage
in Q & A.”
“the series
has expanded my
knowledge of
global issues.”
“in this interconnected
world, it is much more
important to have a heightened
view of the impact of our
government’s place.”
“i find that the
lectures widened my
perspective and made
me aware of media
bias…”
“the lectures provide such
in-depth coverage of major issues
in a time when the media is more
and more superficial.”
“Keeping up-to-date is
much more complicated these days...
so the chance to hear the ‘newest’ issues
and the players is even more valuable
than 20 years ago.”
anniversary celebration •11
otr’s FoUnDinG YEar
MilestoNes
of 1938
• president Franklin D. roosevelt
appoints Joseph p. Kennedy
as america’s ambassador to
Great Britain.
• German laws restrict Jews from
practicing medicine, law, and
accounting and prohibit their
attendance at cultural events.
• Japanese troops engage in
widespread violence and atrocities,
killing hundreds of thousands in
china’s capital, in an event that
becomes known as the rape of
nanking.
• With war clouds gathering, British
prime minister neville chamberlain
meets with hitler in munich and
returns to London, where he states
that there will be “peace for our time.”
• the spanish civil War continues
as Britain and France recognize the
Franco government.
• major oil deposits are discovered
in saudi arabia, but significant
production does not begin until
after the war.
• Japan enacts the national
mobilization Law, putting its
economy on a wartime footing.
• congress passes the naval
Expansion act, authorizing a
20 percent increase in the size
of the U.s. fleet.
• Bowing to adolf hitler’s ultimatum,
austria agrees to annexation by
Germany. nazi troops soon occupy
the country.
• Winston churchill condemns
the munich agreement and urges
the U.s. to prepare for the war
he sees as inevitable.
• Under threat of invasion,
czechoslovakia agrees to cede its
sudetenland region to Germany.
• on the evening of november 9,
mobs vandalize, loot, and burn
thousands of Jewish synagogues,
homes, hospitals, schools, and
businesses in widespread nazi
pogroms that become known as
Kristallnacht, or the night
of Broken Glass.
• noting that hitler had the most
influence on the world in 1938, “for
better or worse,” TIME magazine
names him man of the Year.
anniversary celebration •13
off-the -record
lect u r e se r i e s
Board of Governors
Chairman
Rory Hayden
Speakers
Committee
Committee
Paula Keltner
Elizabeth Maher
Vice-Chairman
Nella Habsburg
Membership
Committee
Secretary
Mary Wadsworth Darby
Patricia P. McGrath
Treasury
Nominating
Sheila Lyall Grant
Kimberly S. Engelbert
Catherine S. Michaelson
Nadia S. Malik
Christine L. Thomas
House
Committee
Roberta Dougherty
Ann Goodbody
Allison MacEachron
Karen Zukerman
Wendy E. Dietze
Bridget Foley
Anne Louvel
Lise Stone
Suzanne Thompson
Irmeli Viinanen
Monica Voldstad
75 th Anniversary Planning Committee
Chairman
Roberta Dougherty
Wendy E. Dietze • Ann Goodbody • Nella Habsburg • Paula Keltner
Patricia P. McGrath • Catherine S. Michaelson • Kate O’Neill • Lise Stone
Monica Voldstad • Karen Zukerman
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mildred Kenyon | The OTR of the FPA, 1973
Janice Miller & Monica Alverca | Program Design
Kate O’Neill | Program Research
Sanford Teller | Milestones of 1938
Anniversary Celebration •15
Off-The-Record
Lecture Series
Foreign Policy Association
470 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016-6819
www.off-the-record.org