Ford Hall Forum Recordings
This page includes audio, video, and transcripts of Ford Hall Forum’s lectures, programs, and the New American Gazette radio series. The majority of the lectures date from 1981-2013 with the exception of one recording from 1923 and a small number from the 1960s and 1970s.
For a full list of the collection, including non-digitized items, browse the Ford Hall Forum Collection Finding Aid
Many additional recordings are held by the Boston Public Library, WGBH, and Northeastern, please consult their Archives for more information.-
Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, Carl Ferenbach, and Harold Naughton with Jack Wrobel discuss, "The Weather at War" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 4/7/2011
Rachel Kleinfeld, Carl Ferenbach, Harold Naughton, and Jack Wrobel
Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, CEO and President of the Truman National Security Project; Carl Ferenbach, Chairman of the Board of the Environmental Defense Fund; and Harold Naughton, MA State Rep. and Iraq War veteran, join moderator Jack Wrobel, Ford Hall Forum Clerk, to discuss why the weather is suddenly a national security issue and how the Pentagon, the CIA, and the armed forces are reacting.
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"Cutting-Edge Corporate Giving" discussion at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 9/22/2011
Jim Koch, Stacy Palmer, Leonard Schlesinger, and George Donnelly
In a lagging economy, corporations get creative to achieve the most bang for their charitable buck, and the result is a variety of unique methods to lend a helping hand. Stacy Palmer, Editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, reveals which giving is most helpful to grantees and which is obsolete. Dr. Len Schlesinger, President of Babson University, tells us how businesses find causes that resonate with stakeholders, while Jim Koch, Founder of The Boston Beer Company, provides a prime example of innovative corporate philanthropy through his Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program. With moderator George Donnelly, Editor of the Boston Business Journal, they discuss fascinating new corporate giving trends.
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2011 Louis P. and Evelyn Smith First Amendment Award honoring Anthony Lewis at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 4/21/2011
Anthony Lewis and Floyd Abrams
The Ford Hall Forum is proud to present our 31st Annual Louis P. and Evelyn Smith First Amendment Award to Anthony Lewis, New York Times journalist and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1955 and 1963. Joined by Floyd Abrams, America’s leading First Amendment lawyer, Lewis will discuss his storied career as a Nieman Scholar at Harvard, Editor-in-Chief for the Times London office, professor of journalism, and longtime “at home abroad” columnist for the New York Times.
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Rodney North, Dr. Donald Boudreaux, and Jeff Jacoby discuss, "Trade-offs: Can Free Be Fair?" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 4/28/2011
Rodney North, Donald Boudreaux, and Jeff Jacoby
Rodney North, communications consultant/former Board Chair of Equal Exchange and co-owner of the largest fair trade enterprise in North America, and Donald Boudreaux, Ph.D., Professor of Economics at George Mason University and former President of libertarian think tank Foundation for Economic Education, discuss with Ford Hall Forum board member and Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby whether free trade can be fair and vice versa.
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Carmen Ortiz, David M. Kennedy, and Reverend Dr. Emmett Price with Dr. Erika Gebo discuss, "The New Boston Miracle" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 10/13/2011
Carmen Ortiz, David M. Kennedy, Emmett Price, and Erika Gebo
Gang and drug warfare fuels violence and leads to prison or death for countless youth, mostly minority males; this well-worn pattern plagues cities across the world. Criminologist and author of Don't Shoot, David M. Kennedy, tells how he addressed this scourge in the 1990s with the successful Boston Miracle. Rev. Dr. Emmett Price, who counsels at-risk Boston youth through hip hop music, discusses funeral fatigue, copycat criminals, and the new rules of engagement. U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz shares with us her plans to mitigate violent crime through the Organized Crime Strike Force/Gang Unit. The three come together with Suffolk University Associate Professor and Co-Director of The Center for Crime and Justice Policy Research, Dr. Erika Gebo, for a conversation about the past, present, and future of inner-city youth violence in Boston and beyond.
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John Seager, Dr. Michael Fossel, and Helen Rees discuss, "Never Say Die: Immortality vs. Overpopulation" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 4/14/2011
John Seager, Michael Fossel, and Helen Rees
Humans may soon be able to live to 125…but should we? What would the economic, social, and environmental implications be?
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Gilad Sharon and Wendy Ballinger discuss, "The Life of a Leader" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 10/27/2011
Gilad Sharon and Wendy Ballinger
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's youngest son, Gilad Sharon, combed through his father's vast archives to offer an intimate look at this controversial figure in Middle Eastern politics. From 2001 until his stroke in 2006, Ariel Sharon walked a fine line between waging war on Israel's enemies and accommodating its allies, all while grappling with suicide bombings, the Iraq War, and Iran's nuclear program. Gilad Sharon gives moderator Wendy Ballinger, Treasurer of the Ford Hall Forum Board, a rare glimpse into his father's private discussions with major heads of state, as well as an illuminating analysis of this global leader's unique views.
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Kevin Cranston, Dazon Dixon Diallo, Julie Davids, and Guillermo Chacon with Rebecca Haag discuss, "AIDS, Social Justice, and the Politics of Transformation" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 9/30/2010
Kevin Cranston, Dazon Dixon Diallo, Julie Davids, and Guillermo Chacon
Kevin Cranston, Director of the Massachusetts Bureau of Infectious Disease; Dazon Dixon Diallo, President of SisterLove; Julie Davids, Founder and Co-Director of CHAMP (Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project); and Guillermo Chacon, President and CEO of the Latino AIDS Commission converse with moderator Rebecca Haag, President and CEO of AIDS Action Committee, about transforming AIDS service organizations to follow a more radical approach and address the real social justice issues behind this disease.
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Louis Gossett, Jr. and Phyllis Karas discuss, "An Actor and a Gentleman" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 11/8/2010
Louis Gossett Jr. and Phyllis Karas
Louis Gossett Jr. is one of the most respected African American stage and screen actors, who rose to fame with his Emmy-winning role in the television miniseries Roots and Oscar-winning performance in An Officer and a Gentleman. With writer Phyllis Karas, he relates his memoir on his fifty-plus years in the entertainment world, including his struggle to get fair pay as a black man in Hollywood, his addictions that took years to overcome, and his current work to eradicate racism and violence.
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Dr. Dong-Chul Seo, Dr. Marlene Schwartz, Karen Voci, and Dr. Frank Robinson with Dr. Christina Economos discuss, "Who Is Winning the Childhood Obesity Battle?" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 10/7/2010
Dong-Chul Seo, Marlene Schwartz, Karen Voci, and Frank Robinson
Dr. Dong-Chul Seo, Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Health Science at Indiana University; Dr. Marlene Schwartz of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University; Karen Voci, Executive Director of Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation; and Dr. Frank Robinson, Executive Director of Partners for a Healthier Community, join Dr. Chris Economos, the new Balance Chair of Childhood Nutrition at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition to discuss which policies on childhood obesity are effective. At the heart of the discussion lie the questions: what is causing obesity, who is responsible for policing it, and what are the unintended consequences of the methods we've tried thus far?
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Dr. Maria Idali Torres, Dr. Paul Watanabe, and Marvin Venay with Representative Linda Dorcena Forry discuss, "Election 2010 and Communities of Color" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 11/4/2010
Maria Idali Torres, Paul Watanabe, Marvin Venay, and Linda Dorcena Forry
Dr. Maria Idali Torres, Director of the Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy; Dr. Paul Watanabe of the Institute of Asian American Studies at UMass Boston; and Marvin Venay, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus join State Representative Linda Dorcena Forry to explore how the newly-elected and -reelected officials will address legislation and policies affecting Asian American, Black, and Latino populations.
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Dr. Nick Trout, John Ensminger, and Dr. Joann Lindenmayer with Monica Collins discuss, "Extreme Dog: What Right Do Our Pets Have To Be Saved?", video recording, 9/16/2010
Nick Trout, John Ensminger, Joann Lindenmayer, and Monica Collins
Dr. Nick Trout, staff surgeon at Angell Animal Medical Center and author of Tell Me Where It Hurts; attorney John Ensminger, dog advocate and creator of doglawreporter.blog spot.com; and Dr. Joann Lindenmayer, Associate Professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, join moderator Monica Collins, syndicated columnist of Ask Dog Lady, to discuss whether we as a society have gone too far in treating dogs with extensive medical problems. Nick Trout, author of “Tell Me Where It Hurts,” and John Ensminger author of “Service and Therapy Dogs in American Society,” will be signing and selling their respective books at the end of the event.
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David Ferry, Suji Kwock Kim, Jill McDonough, Ifeanyi Menkiti, Gail Mazur, and Lloyd Schwartz discuss "Massachusetts Poetry in Hard Times" at the Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 10/15/2009
David Ferry
While the Dow tumbles, joblessness soars, and two wars stretch our military abroad, what do the works of Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow have to offer? What could words, rhythm, and rhyme provide to those down on their luck or even facing crisis? Poets David Ferry, Suji Kwock Kim, Jill McDonough, Ifeanyi Menkiti, Gail Mazur, and Lloyd Schwartz join Christopher Lydon to answer with readings from classic Massachusetts authors as well as those contemporary artists writing their masterpieces today. From lyric and verse to slam and spoken word, they offer their perspective on current affairs, as well as the evolving ways we use language to understand and experience our world today.
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Paul Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Gould, and Nick Mills with Alan Berger discuss "Afghanistan's Untold Story and the Road Ahead" at the Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 5/7/2009
Paul Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Gould, and Nick Mills
Najim Azadzoi, Nick Mills, Paul Fitzgerald, and Elizabeth Gould discuss the roots of the current crisis in Afghanistan and how to move toward a better future. The members of the panel contemplate what a peaceful, stable, and productive Afghanistan would look like, and what the new American administration can do to help Afghans realize this goal. Moderated by journalist Alan Berger of The Boston Globe‘s editorial board.
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Wendy Kaminer and Peter Kadzis discuss "Worst Instincts: Cowardice, Conformity, and the ACLU" at the Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 9/17/2009
Wendy Kaminer and Peter Kadzis
Wendy Kaminer, lawyer, social critic, and former American Civil Liberties Union national board member, and Peter Kadzis, Executive Editor of The Boston Phoenix and political commentator on FOX25 News, discuss the virtues of dissent and free speech, as well as the forces that pull organizations of all kinds away from these essential principles.
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Susan M. Wilczynski, Brenda Smith Myles, James T. Brett discuss "Autism: Looking Beyond Cause and Cure" at the Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 10/29/2009
Brenda Smith Myles and James T. Brett
The United States has seen a consistent increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism, with one out of every 150 children now affected by the disorder. What does science tell us about effective treatments? What resources are available for children with autism? How can we best support our friends and neighbors who are impacted by this complex and often misunderstood disorder? Susan M. Wilczynski, Ph.D., BCBA, Executive Director of the National Autism Center, and Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D., author and consultant with the Ziggurat Group, join James T. Brett, President & CEO of the New England Council and current chair of the Governor’s Commission on Developmental Disabilities, to discuss how to address this urgent public health issue.
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Thomas S. Blanton and Alasdair Roberts discuss, "Secrecy in the United States: Priorities for the Next President" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 9/18/2008
Thomas S. Blanton and Alasdair Roberts
Over the last eight years, Federal policymakers have struggled with contending claims about national security, executive privilege, and open government. Is the current administration excessively secretive? Or are its methods simply the most effective way to protect our nation in the post-9/11 world? Tonight, in recognition of International Right to Know Day, Thomas S. Blanton, Director of the National Security Archive at George Washington University, joins Professor Alasdair Roberts, Suffolk University Law School, to discuss government transparency and suggest top reform priorities for the next President.
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Yaron Brook discusses, "Woodstock's Legacy: The Rise of Environmentalism and the Religious Right" at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 5/8/2008
Yaron Brook
In 1969, Ayn Rand’s Ford Hall Forum talk, “Apollo and Dionysus,” addressed the near simultaneous events of Woodstock and the first lunar landing. Employing Greek mythology’s god of the sun and god of wine, she compared the awe-inspiring accomplishments of NASA’s Apollo space program to the famous three-day concert that has come to exemplify the counterculture of the 1960s and the “hippie era.” Almost four decades later, Dr. Yaron Brook, President and Executive Director of the Ayn Rand Institute, reflects on her words and takes a new look at our society’s drives toward individualism versus wholeness, light versus darkness, and civilization versus primal nature.
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Douglas J. Feith with Jules Crittenden discuss, "War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terrorism" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 10/23/2008
Douglas J. Feith and Jules Crittenden
Douglas J. Feith, former United States Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (2001 – 2005), discusses the dynamics of the first Bush term, and how we make foreign policy decisions.
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Presidential Election 2008 discussion with Barney Frank and Emily Rooney, video recording, 11/13/2008
Barney Frank and Emily Rooney
Obama. McCain. Who will be sitting in the Oval Office on January 21, 2009? What does it mean for the future of our country? Congressman Barney Frank and journalist Emily Rooney examine the 2008 presidential campaign candidates and potential outcomes for our nation.
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Anita Hill receives the 2008 Louis P. and Evelyn Smith First Amendment Award at the Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 3/20/2008
Anita Hill and Charles J. Ogletree
As a lawyer, scholar, and civil rights activist. Professor Anita F. Hill, Brandeis University, has shed light on the legal and social forces shaping our nation and served as an inspiration to those seeking justice and truth in the face of great personal risk. Launched into the public sphere by her testimony in Justice Clarence Thomas’s Supreme Court Confirmation hearing, she used her potentially crippling experience to encourage those who have suffered from harassment and discrimination in the workplace to also “speak truth to power.” She received the Forum's First Amendment Award and shares her thoughts on her life and work. Moderated by Professor Charles J. Ogletree, Harvard University Law School.
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Gary Hirshberg and Nancy F. Koehn discuss, "Stirring it Up: How to Make Money and Save the World" at Ford Hall Forum, video recording, 11/6/2008
Gary Hirshberg and Nancy F. Koehn
Can one really do well by doing good? Savvy corporations of all sectors and sizes are now embracing an environmentally friendly outlook. What are the incentives for entrepreneurs and business owners to “go green”? And what are the challenges they face as they seek to provide value for shareholders while staying true to their mission and morals? Gary Hirshberg, Chairman, President and CEO of Stonyfield Farm and Professor Nancy F. Koehn, Harvard Business School, discuss how businesses are leveraging quality products, creative marketing, and cost-saving efficiencies to both enrich shareholders and make the world a better place.
