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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.

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The New American Gazette: Barbara Jordan, Liz Carpenter, Judy Carter, and Sey Chassler, "ERA: Was it Worth it?", audio recording, 1990-04-24

Barbara Jordan, Judy Carter, Sey Chassler, and Liz Carpenter

This episode of the New American Gazette features the remarks of several speakers at the Conference on Women and the Constitution. It was convened by former First Ladies Betty Ford, Pat Nixon, Rosalyn Carter and Lady Bird Johnson on February 12, 1988 to celebrate the US Constitution and the contributions that women have made to the country’s founding document. This recording features, three-term Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, appraising the U.S. Constitution and asking why, after 200 years, women are still denied equal rights under the law. She then outlines strategies for change. Discussing the question, "ERA: Was it Worth it?" are author, journalist and Johnson era White House aide Liz Carpenter; former editor of Redbook, Sey Chassler; and campaigner for ERA, Judy Carter.
The New American Gazette: Coretta Scott King (Closing Session at the Carter Presidential Library), Ford Hall Forum, audio recording

Coretta Scott King

The Conference on Women and the Constitution was convened by former First Ladies Betty Ford, Pat Nixon, Rosalyn Carter and Lady Bird Johnson on February 12, 1988 to celebrate the US Constitution and the contributions that women have made to the country’s founding document. Coretta Scott King, an activist and civil rights leader, urged women to become the moral vanguard for a more compassionate, humanitarian world society. Recorded at the Carter Presidential Library. Grand Ballroom Noon-1:30).
The New American Gazette: Barbara Tuchman, "Is History a Guide to the Future?, at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 3/01/1990

Barbara W. Tuchman

The New American Gazette honors the late historian and writer with a rebroadcast of her March 12, 1967 Ford Hall Forum address, "Is history a guide to the future?". In a wide-ranging discussion on both World Wars and Vietnam to Marx and Freud, Barbara Tuchman conducts a broad sweep of the events and personalities that have shaped the twentieth century.
The New American Gazette: Malcolm X: God’s Solution to America’s Race Problem, audio recording, 1990/2/23

Malcolm X.

In an address delivered before the Ford Hall Forum in 1963, Black Muslim leader Malcolm X surveys racism in America and offers his views on solutions to racial bigotry and discrimination. In honor of Black History Month, The New American Gazette presents the first in a series of four consecutive programs featuring important black Americans. Rebroadcast as part of the New American Gazette on 2/23/1990.
The New American Gazette: Maya Angelou receives the Ford Hall Forum's First Amendment Award, audio recording, 2/16/1989

Maya Angelou

Charismatic writer, poet and lecturer Maya Angelou addresses the value of the First Amendment with story, song and spirit. The best-selling author of I Know why the Caged Bird Sings reflects on the responsibility to speak for freedom's sake, in this rebroadcast from the Ford Hall Forum archives.
The New American Gazette: Betty Ford and Ann Richards, Part 1, at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording

Betty Ford and Ann Richards

Former First Lady Betty Ford shares inspirational experiences from her battle with drug and alcoholic addiction. Speaking frankly about her own recovery, Mrs. Ford emphasizes the role that families can play in the "joy of recovery." Keynote speaker to the 1988 Democratic National Convention Ann Richards offers practical advice for substance abusers and shares personal experiences about alcoholism.
The New American Gazette: Betty Ford and Ann Richards, Part 2, at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording

Betty Ford and Ann Richards

Former First Lady Betty Ford shares inspirational experiences from her battle with drug and alcoholic addiction. Speaking frankly about her own recovery, Mrs. Ford emphasizes the role that families can play in the "joy of recovery." Keynote speaker to the 1988 Democratic National Convention Ann Richards offers practical
The New American Gazette: Ellen Hume and Linda Wertheimer discuss, "Covering the Presidential Campaign: Lessons for 1992", at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 4/6/1989

Ellen Hume and Linda Wertheimer

Did media coverage of the last presidential campaign influence its outcome? NPR political correspondent Linda Wertheimer and Ellen Hume, former political reporter for The Wall Street Journal, assess press coverage of the recent election and lessons learned for 1992.
The New American Gazette: Barbara Jordan and Betty Friedan at the Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 7/20/1989

Barbara Jordan and Betty Friedan

This episode combines talks given by two prominent women in politics: Barbara Jordan, a former member of Congress from Houston examines the politics of exclusion in "One Nation Indivisible: Rhetoric or Reality?" and feminist Betty Friedan traces the recent history of American women and political power and sets goals for the future.
The New American Gazette: Mitchell Kapor discusses, "What's So Personal about Personal Computers?", at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 4/16/1989

Mitchell Kapor

Mitchell Kapor, the one-time teacher of transcendental meditation who became Founder and President of Lotus Development Corporation, surveys the future of technology and its implications for our society. Recorded at the Ford Hall Forum on 4/16/1989 and broadcast on the New American Gazette radio program.
The New American Gazette: Henry Kendall and Claudine Schneider discuss, "Global Warming: What can we do about the Greenhouse Effect," at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 11/12/1989

Henry W. Kendall and Claudine Schneider

Chairman of the Union of Concerned Scientists Henry Kendall and US Congresswoman Claudine Schneider (R-RI) look at the consequences of the warming of the earth and how it can be averted through individual and collective action.
New American Gazette: Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 speech at the Ford Hall Forum, "The Future of Desegregation," audio recording and transcript, 3/5/1989

Martin Luther King and Barbara Jordan

Three weeks before he was jailed for leading peaceful protesters in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King addressed the Ford Hall Forum in March 1963. His address, "The Future of Desegregation," coincided with the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. Dr. King called for renewed Federal efforts at desegregation, while noting that "the law cannot change the heart, but it can restrain the heartless." The forum was rebroadcast as part of the New American Gazette program and includes an introduction by Barbara Jordan.
The New American Gazette: George McGovern and Robert Kuttner, audio recording, 10/23/1989

George S. McGovern and Robert Kuttner

The 1972 Democratic Presidential candidate looks back at the 1960s and asks whether the 1990s will be a period of sweeping social reforms and strong domestic programs. Comparing and contrasting the New Frontier and the Great Society with the current Administration's goals, the former South Dakota Senator shares reminiscences and anecdotes from political life.
The New American Gazette: Pei Minxin, Shen Tong, Ding Xueliang and Yasheng Huang discuss, "The Future of the Democratic Reform Movement in China", at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 10/19/1989

Pei Minxin, Shen Tong, Yasheng Huang, and Ding Xuelliang

Fours students involved in the demonstrations for democratic reform in China discuss the future of the movement after the government crackdown in Tiananmen Square. Shen Tong and Yasheng Huang deliver first hand accounts of the events at Tiananmen Square, while Pei Minxin and Ding Xueliang provide insights on US support for the demonstrators.
The New American Gazette: Laura Palmer at the Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 1/25/1989

Laura Palmer

The New American Gazette visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington through the eyes, ears and hearts of its visitors. Laura Palmer, author of Shrapnel in the Heart, discusses her evocative, heart-wrenching collection of more than 100 letters left at Washington's Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the stories of the wives and children, lovers and friends who wrote them.
The New American Gazette: Paul Szep and Mike Peters; "Satire: The Ungentle Art," at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 10/15/1989

Paul Michael Szep and Mike Peters

Two Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonists, Paul Szep of The Boston Globe and Mike Peters of The Dayton Daily News, examine the ungentle art of satire and discuss their work in today's world: where to find inspiration, how to choose a target and how the public reacts.
The New American Gazette: Mubarak Awad, "Palestinian Struggle for Human Rights" at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 11/4/1988

Mubarek E. Awad

Mubarak Awad, a leader of the Palestinian non-violent human rights movement, spoke at the Ford Hall Forum about the Palestinian resistance to the occupation of the West Bank and suggests new initiatives to the seemingly intractable problems of the Middle East.
The New American Gazette: Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks and Leola Brown Montgomery at the Ford Hall Forum, transcript, 2/12/1988

Ford Hall Forum, Coretta Scott King, Leola Brown Montgomery, and Rosa Parks

This episode of the New American Gazette featured the remarks of Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, and Leola Brown Montgomery from the Conference on Women and the Constitution. The conference was convened by former First Ladies Betty Ford, Pat Nixon, Rosalyn Carter and Lady Bird Johnson on February 12, 1988 to celebrate the US Constitution and the contributions that women have made to the country’s founding document. Coretta Scott King, an activist and civil rights leader, urged women to become the moral vanguard for a more compassionate, humanitarian world society. Sharing experiences from the struggle for civil rights and desegregation, Rosa Parks and Leola Brown Montgomery discussed their groundbreaking accomplishments in seeking justice and equality for all people. The radio program is introduced by Barbara Jordan. Digitally restored, 6/2018.
The New American Gazette: Barney Frank and Warren Rudman; "Election 88 A Review and Forecast," at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 11/10/1988

Barney Frank and Warren B. Rudman

Two seasoned politicians, Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) and Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH), debate the winning factors, missing ingredients, lucky breaks and decisive moments of what should be a tight Presidential race. The forum was broadcast on the New American Gazette radio program.
Doris Kearns Goodwin's speech, "The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys : an American saga" at the Ford Hall Forum, audio recording and transcript, 7/28/1988

Doris Kearns Goodwin

From the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, best-selling biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin, discusses her book, "The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys : an American saga." Goodwin goes behind the lace curtains of two families which gave rise to Camelot in America -- the Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys.
The New American Gazette: Gloria Hull and Peggy McIntosh discuss Education For a More Inclusive Society at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 10/13/1988

Akasha Gloria Hull and Peggy McIntosh

How can education reflect the reality of a multicultural world shared by women and men? UCSC Professor Gloria T. Hull and Wellesley College Professor Peggy McIntosh discuss education for a more inclusive society.
New American Gazette: “Archbishop Desmond Tutu & Reverend Beyers Naudé,” at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 9/8/1988

Beyers Naudé and Desmond Tutu

A discussion on apartheid by Nobel Peace Prize winner, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Afrikaner and Global Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, Reverend Beyers Naudé. The program features parts of the recordings from Naudé's 1985 forum and Tutu's 1988 appearance.
The New American Gazette: Sandra Day O'Connor and Mary King at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 2/11/1988

Sandra Day O’Connor and Mary E. King

This episode of the New American Gazette features the remarks of Sandra Day O'Connor and Mary E. King at the Conference on Women and the Constitution. It was convened by former First Ladies Betty Ford, Pat Nixon, Rosalyn Carter and Lady Bird Johnson on February 12, 1988 to celebrate the US Constitution and the contributions that women have made to the country’s founding document. O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, discussing some of the significant leaders and milestones in the struggle of American women for equal protection and opportunity under the U.S. Constitution. Author and activist Mary King urges women to seek political self-determination by asking, "Where to from here?" She further contends that the women's movement and the civil rights movement merged to form a powerful bond.
New American Gazette: “First Amendment Award Honoring Pete Seeger,” at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording and transcript, 5/15/1988

Pete Seeger and Charlayne Hunter-Gault

Folk singer Pete Seeger receives the Ford Hall Forum’s First Amendment Award. He sang songs while discussing the Great Peace March and the value of the First Amendment. The forum was recorded in 1988 and later broadcast on the New American Gazette radio program on January 8, 1989. The program was introduced by host Charlayne Hunter-Gault.
The New American Gazette: Bella Abzug at Ford Hall Forum, audio recording, 5/13/1987

Bella S. Abzug

Taped at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, New York's formidable former Congresswoman, Bella Abzug, explores the rise and decline of women in American politics. She then offers a feminist vision of a truly just and humane society for the future.