CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL of the New-York Historical Society

TENTH ANNUAL WEEKEND with HISTORY

FRIDAY, APRIL 17 SATURDAY, APRIL 18 2015

NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY SPEAKERS

DANIELLE ALLEN DAVID E. SANGER UPS Foundation Professor, Chief Washington Correspondent School for Advanced Study The New York Times

FRANCES FITZGERALD OSCAR L. TANG Author Former President of the Board, at Andover

AGNES HSU-TANG EVAN THOMAS Archaeologist and Documentarian Author

WALTER ISAACSON JAY WINIK President and CEO, Aspen Institute Historian and Author

FREDRIK LOGEVALL GENEVIEVE YOUNG Stephen and Madeline Anbinder Editor Professor of History,

DAVID MCCULLOUGH JULIAN ZELIZER Author Malcolm Stevenson Forbes Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs,

GIDEON ROSE Editor, Foreign Affairs

Photo of David McCullough by William B. McCullough Front Image: Howard Thain (1891-1959), Madison Square, N.Y.C., 1926, oil on canvas (detail), Gift of Mrs. Howard Thain, 1970.39 You are cordially invited to join the CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL of the New-York Historical Society and attend the

TENTH ANNUAL WEEKEND with HISTORY NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY 170 Central Park West at Richard Gilder Way New York City

FRIDAY, APRIL 17 Black tie

6:00 PM COCKTAILS in the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library

7:00 PM DINNER in Dexter Hall

WELCOME Louise Mirrer, President & CEO

PRESENTATION of the 2015 New-York Historical Society American History Book Prize honoring the author of this year’s best book in the field of American history or biography

REMARKS Pam B. Schafler, Chair of the Board of Trustees

SATURDAY, APRIL 18 Business casual

8:30 AM BREAKFAST AND OPENING SESSION in the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library

10:15 AM-12:15 PM SPEAKER SESSIONS

12:30 PM LUNCHEON AND CLOSING SESSION in the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library PROGRAM SATURDAY, APRIL 18 8:30 AM BREAKFAST AND OPENING SESSION

The Wright Brothers

In December 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the age of flight began with the successful launch of the first heavier-than-air powered machine carrying a pilot. Drawing on the immense riches of the Wright Papers, Pulitzer Prize winner DAVID MCCULLOUGH tells the dramatic story of two unknown brothers from Ohio who changed the course of history.

10:15 AM Members choose one of the following sessions:

The Declaration of Independence: A Close Reading

At only 1,337 words, the Declaration of Independence irrevocably transformed world history and governance. Political philosopher DANIELLE ALLEN, renowned for her work on justice and citizenship, probes the Declaration’s core tenets of freedom, individualism, and community, and illuminates its lasting impact and meaning.

Security in America

From ongoing crises in Syria and Iraq to looming questions of border security here at home, America’s long-term survival as a world leader is contingent upon its ability to build and maintain alliances and confront tensions both on its own turf and across the globe. Join New York Times Chief Washington Correspondent DAVID E. SANGER for the latest perspectives on U.S. national security.

Understanding Nixon

A clever and commanding statesman who comfortably held the floor with the world’s most powerful leaders, was also prone to outbursts and indecisiveness. Be in on the conversation as celebrated historians EVAN THOMAS and JULIAN E. ZELIZER explore the man behind the legend, from his rise to the nation’s highest office to his dramatic fall. 11:15 AM Members choose one of the following sessions:

The Vietnam War at 50

Award-winning authors FRANCES FITZGERALD and FREDRIK LOGEVALL join in conversation with Foreign Affairs editor GIDEON ROSE to explore the political, cultural, and social tensions that led to the escalation of the war in Vietnam, examine why American efforts ultimately failed, and consider the lasting legacy of the conflict a half-century later.

April 1865

On April 15, 1865, a small band of men led by John Wilkes Booth attempted to overturn the U.S. Government by assassinating President Abraham Lincoln as well as the Vice President and Secretary of State. Hear bestselling author JAY WINIK vividly describe the events surrounding Lincoln’s assassination and how a few individuals conspired to keep the Civil War alive.

Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion Gallery Talk

Join archaeologist and UNESCO adviser AGNES HSU-TANG, financier and philanthropist OSCAR TANG, and editor GENEVIEVE YOUNG for a conversation and insider tour of Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion. Closing on April 19, this riveting N-YHS show chronicles the Chinese experience in America from the early days of the trade to the present.

12:30 PM LUNCHEON AND CLOSING SESSION

The Innovators

From the origins of computer programming in the 1840’s to the recent release of the iPhone 6, technology is pervasive in our lives. Historian , author of The Innovators, presents the historical saga of the digital revolution and the creative visionaries who contributed individually and collaboratively to the technological culture we live in today. 2015 CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL HONORARY CO-CHAIRS

Akhil Reed Amar Joyce Appleby Debby Applegate Sven Beckert Thomas Bender David Blight Douglas Brinkley Ric Burns David Cannadine Robert A. Caro Ron Chernow Andrew Delbanco Eric Foner Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Doris Kearns Goodwin John Steele Gordon Harold Holzer Daniel Walker Howe Kenneth T. Jackson Edward P. Jones David Kennedy Jill Lepore John Maurer Steven Mintz David Nasaw Andrew Roberts Cokie Roberts Simon Schama Stacy Schiff Benno C. Schmidt Russell Shorto Jean Edward Smith Lesley Stahl Robert A.M. Stern Richard Sylla Sean Wilentz Jay Winik Gordon Wood