HOOVER INSTITUTION SUMMER 2004 NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER RONALD REAGAN, HONORARY FELLOW Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, foreground, speaks as conference coorganizer Abbas Milani, background, translates. Ronald Wilson Reagan, America’s 40th president and a Hoover Institution hon- orary fellow, died June 5 at his home in HOOVER HOSTS CONFERENCE ON IRAN; Los Angeles. He was 93. NOBEL RECIPIENT SHRIN EBADI SPEAKS “Ronald Reagan’s two terms as presi- dent brought hope to and restored faith in s Iran ready to become a democ- ticipants addressed this question through the nation,” said Hoover director John racy?” asked Larry Diamond, presentations and discussions in several Raisian. “At the same time, he brought “IHoover senior fellow, in opening panel sessions during the two days of the optimism to the post of chief executive the conference “Politics, Society, and conference. and oversaw the dismantling of commu- Economy in a Changing Iran” at the The conference was coordinated by nism around the world. Hoover Institution, May 20–21, 2004. Par- Diamond and Hoover research fellow “We are, of course, saddened by Abbas Milani. President Reagan’s passing. We gather • INSIDE • In addition, Shirin Ebadi, recipient of encouragement, however, from our long the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, was the and significant relationship with him. ROBERT CONQUEST NAMED TO keynote speaker at a reception and dinner “His papers here at Hoover have not AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ARTS AND SCIENCES . 2 May 20. Ebadi began her speech by saying only provided scholars and researchers that, “regardless of our ideology, we must rare and important glimpses into his life KIRON SKINNER APPOINTED TO join hands for freedom in democracy. We TWO TOP FEDERAL PANELS . 3 shall either lose together or win together. continued on page 10 KORET TASK FORCE RELEASES Let us join hands and this way we will have TEXAS EDUCATION REFORM Books by Hoover fellows about Reagan, page 10 PLAN . 15 continued on page 4 HOOVER INSTITUTION See our web site's new look—now with easier navigation. ONLINEONLINE Visit us for daily news and updates at www.hoover.org HOOVER HOSTS NATAN SHARANSKY, ISRAELI MINISTER AND HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE atan Sharansky, Israeli minister these principles and apply them to the for diaspora affairs, began his tour Middle East, you have only one country Nof college campuses, Caravan for that follows them, and that’s Israel.” Democracy, at the Hoover Institution at Sharansky, a noted human rights advo- Stanford University on April 14. The talk cate,was born in the Ukraine.In 1973,Sha- by Sharansky was cohosted with the ransky applied for an exit visa to Israel but Republican Jewish Coalition of Northern was refused on “security” grounds. He California. remained prominently involved in Jewish In his talk on prospects for democracy refusnik activities until his arrest in 1977. in the Middle East, Sharansky argued that He was convicted of treason and spying for democracy is possible there and was criti- the United States and sentenced to 13 years cal of those who doubt it.“Human rights is in prison. Sharansky was able to immigrate the right to express our beliefs and not go to Israel in 1986 when he was released as to prison for it,”said Sharansky.“If you take part of an East-West prisoner exchange. Natan Sharansky obert Conquest, the world- ROBERT CONQUEST ELECTED TO AMERICAN ACADEMY renowned authority on Joseph RStalin and Russian history and a OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Hoover Institution research fellow, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. virtuous people.” The unique structure of relations between despotic and consensual Announced on April 30, he is one of 178 the American academy allows it to conduct cultures. new fellows and 24 new foreign honorary interdisciplinary studies on international He is the author of eighteen books on members elected to the academy. The 202 security, social policy,education,and the Soviet history, politics, and international men and women are leaders in scholarship, humanities that draw on the range of aca- affairs, including the classic The Great business, the arts, and public affairs. demic and intellectual disciplines of its Ter ror (Macmillan, 1968). Translations The finest minds and most members. The current mem- have appeared in more than twenty lan- influential leaders from each bership of more than 4,500 guages, including Russian. Other works generation, including George includes 150 Nobel laureates include the acclaimed Harvest of Sorrow Washing ton and Ben Frank- and 50 Pulitzer Prize winners. (Oxford University Press, 1986), which has lin in the eighteenth century, The academy will welcome also appeared in many translations. Daniel Webster and Ralph this year’s new fellows and Later books are Stalin and the Kirov Waldo Emerson in the nine- foreign honorary members Murder (Oxford University Press, 1988); teenth, and Albert Einstein at its annual induction Tyrants and Typewriters (Lexington Books, and Winston Churchill in the ceremony in October at its 1989); The Great Terror: A Reassessment twentieth century, are chosen headquarters in Cambridge, (Oxford University Press, 1990); Stalin: to join the academy. Massachusetts. Breaker of Nations (Viking, 1991); and Conquest is the 31st Robert Conquest’s awards Reflections on a Ravaged Century (W. W. Hoover Institution fellow to Robert Conquest and honors include the Jeffer- Norton & Company, 1999), which analyzes be elected to the academy. son Lectureship in the the disasters of our time and looks at the The academy was founded in 1780 by Humanities, the federal government’s prospects before us. His most recent book, John Adams, James Bowdoin, John highest distinction in the field, in 1993; the The Dragons of Expectation (W. W. Hancock, and other scholar-patriots “to Richard Weaver Award for Scholarly Norton), will be published later this year. cultivate every art and science which may Letters in 1999; and the Alexis de Toc- tend to advance the interest,honor, dignity, queville Award, 1992. His major scholarly and happiness of a free, independent, and concern has been with the nature of and 2 resident George W. Bush has HOOVER FELLOW KIRON SKINNER APPOINTED TO announced the appointment of PKiron K. Skinner, Hoover research NATIONAL SECURITY EDUCATION BOARD AND fellow, to the National Security Education CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE PANEL Board. In addition, Skinner was appointed to the Chief of Naval Operations Executive activities include membership on Secretary Along with Hoover fellows Annelise Panel (CEP) by United States defense sec- Donald Rumsfeld’s Defense Policy Board Anderson and Martin Anderson, Skinner retary Donald Rumsfield. and observer status on the sec- coedited the New York Times best seller The National Security Edu- retary’s Defense Business Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of cation Act, which was signed in Board. The W.Glenn Campbell Ronald Reagan That Reveal His Revolution- 1991 and under which the research fellow at the Hoover ary Vision for America (Free Press, 2001); board was formed,provides for Institution, Skinner is an assis- Stories in His Own Hand: The Everyday the establishment of the tant professor of history and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan (Free Press, National Security Education political science at Carnegie 2001); and Reagan in His Own Voice Program, the National Security Mellon University. She special- (Simon & Schuster, 2001). These books Education Board, and the izes in the study of American include selections from the 670 handwrit- National Security Education foreign policy, international ten radio commentaries the president Trust Fund. These programs are relations theory, and interna- delivered between 1975 and 1979. The designed to lead in educating Kiron Skinner tional security. Skinner uses commentaries cover virtually every United States citizens to under- game theoretic lenses to struc- national policy issue of the day, prompting stand foreign cultures, strengthen U.S. eco- ture her empirical research, which includes many Reagan detractors to reappraise his nomic competitiveness, and enhance inter- the use of several presidential archives. She intellect. Reagan, a Life in Letters (Free national cooperation and security. became interested in the role of U.S. strat- Press, 2003), another book Skinner The CEP provides independent advice egy in ending the cold war while conduct- coedited with the Andersons, became a and opinion from a select group of distin- ing research for Secretary of State George New York Times best seller. Skinner’s writ- guished Americans to the chief ofNaval P. S hu ltz’s memoir and while assisting Con- ings have appeared in the National Interest, Operations on a broad array of issues doleezza Rice with the research for her the New York Times, and the Wall Street related to national seapower. coauthored diplomatic history of German Journal. Skinner’s other government service unification. HOOVER TOWER RECOGNIZED FOR PRESERVATION the top of the tower was originally intended to be square but was changed to its present dome shape to accommodate its forty- eight-bell carillon. he distinctive Hoover Tower, a land- Hoover Tower, dedicated in 1941 to The carillon, cast for the Belgian Pavil- mark on the Stanford University commemorate the university’s fiftieth ion at the 1939–40 World’s Fair, remained campus and part of the Hoover anniversary, houses the Hoover Institution T in this country owing to the outbreak of Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, Library, as well as the Herbert Hoover and World War II. Later, the Belgian-American is being recognized by the Art Deco Lou Henry Hoover exhibit rooms. Arthur Education Foundation acquired it and Society of California (ADSC) with a 2004 Brown Jr., perhaps the most celebrated donated it to the Hoover Institution in Preservation Award. The award recognizes architect of his time, designed the tower. In appreciation of Herbert Hoover’s famine noteworthy preservation and restoration addition, he designed many buildings in relief efforts during and after World War I.