Public Lectures Series
Lectures are free and open to the public. Lectures are in McCosh 50 and begin at 8:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Click here to see location.
Lectures Home » 2008-2009 Lectures
Speakers in this series

Marcia Angell Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School; former editor-in-chief, New England Journal of Medicine

Reforming Our Health System: Why Neither Candidate Has the Answer
Wed, 17 Sep 2008 | Louis Clark Vanuxem Lecture

Jerma Jackson Associate Professor of History, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Made in America: The History of Black Gospel Music, "Our Music Was Tambourines and Sometimes Guitar: Contemplating the Roots of Black Gospel" (Note: 4:30 p.m. in McCormick Hall 101)
Thu, 25 Sep 2008 | Cosponsored by the J. Edward Farnum Fund and the Center for African American Studies, Departments of Religion and Music, Davis Center, Council of the Humanities, Program in American Studies, and the Center for the Study of Religion

James Flynn Emeritus Professor of Political Studies, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

What Is intelligence?: Paradoxes Resolved. (NOTE: 7:30 p.m. in McCosh Hall 10. First of two lectures; second lecture on Thursday, October 9.) (webcast)
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 | Stafford Little Lecture

James Flynn Emeritus Professor of Political Studies, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Black IQ:Environmental Factors (NOTE: 7:30 p.m. in McCosh Hall 10) (webcast)
Thu, 09 Oct 2008 | Stafford Little Lecture

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Supreme Court Justice

The Lighter Side of Life at the U.S. Supreme Court: Customs and Habits that Promote Collegiality Among the Justices. Followed by a Discussion with Princeton University Provost Christopher Eisgruber. NOTE: 4:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall. Click on speaker's name for ticket information. (webcast)
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 | Walter E. Edge Lecture/Marshall Harlan '20 Lecture

Ian Buruma Henry R. Luce Professor of Human Rights and Journalism, Bard College

No Divine Right: Religion and Democracy on Three Continents. Three-lecture series on November 3, 10, and 17. (NOTE: McCosh Hall 10) (webcast)
Mon, 03 Nov 2008 | Stafford Little Lectures

Philippe Descola Professor of Anthropology, College de France; author of The Spears of Twilight: Life and Death in the Amazon Jungle

Towards a Monist Anthropology (NOTE: 4:30 p.m. in McCosh Hall 10)
Wed, 05 Nov 2008 | Cosponsored by the Department of Anthropology and the Spencer Trask Fund.

Ian Buruma Henry R. Luce Professor of Human Rights and Journalism, Bard College

No Divine Right: Religion and Democracy on Three Continents. Three-lecture series on November 3, 10, and 17. (NOTE: McCosh Hall 10) (webcast)
Mon, 10 Nov 2008 | Stafford Little Lectures

Ian Buruma Henry R. Luce Professor of Human Rights and Journalism, Bard College

No Divine Right: Secularism and Democracy on Three Continents (webcast)
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 | Stafford Little Lectures

Walter Isaacson President and CEO, Aspen Institute; biographer (Benjamin Franklin: An American Life and Einstein: His Life and His Universe)

Einstein, Franklin, and the Role of Creativity in Today's World (webcast)
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 | Walter E. Edge Lecture

Leonard Susskind Felix Bloch Professor of Physics, Stanford University and author of The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking To Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics

The Black Hole War
Thu, 20 Nov 2008 | Cosponsored by the Louis Clark Vanuxem Fund and the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science

Andrew Delbanco Professor of American Studies, Columbia University; author, Melville: His World and Work

Does College Really Matter? The History of Undergraduate Education, Why It's in Trouble, and What to Do About It. (NOTE: Three-lecture series, December 1, 2, and 3. All lectures at 5:30 p.m. in McCosh Hall 10) (webcast)
Mon, 01 Dec 2008 | Stafford Little Lectures

Andrew Delbanco Professor of American Studies, Columbia University: author, Melville: His World and Work

Does College Really Matter? The History of Undergraduate Education, Why It's in Trouble, and What to Do About It (webcast)
Tue, 02 Dec 2008 | Stafford Little Lecture

Andrew Delbanco Professor of American Studies, Columbia University; author, Melville: His World and Work

Does College Really Matter? The History of Undergraduate Education, Why It's in Trouble, and What to Do About It (webcast)
Wed, 03 Dec 2008 | Stafford Little Lectures

George Packer Journalist, The New Yorker; author (The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq); playwright (Betrayed: A Play)

The New Liberalism (webcast)
Thu, 05 Feb 2009 | Stafford Little Lecture

Glenn Close Actress

Are You Who We Think You Are? (NOTE: 5:30 p.m. in McCosh 50.) FREE TICKET REQUIRED. Tickets are no longer available. There will be a wait line the night of the event, and individuals without tickets may be seated if seats become available. The lecture will be simulcast in McCosh 28 and 46; no ticket required. (webcast)
Thu, 19 Feb 2009 | J. Edward Farnum Lecture

Orlando Patterson John Cowles Professor of Sociology, Harvard University

A Short History of Freedom: The Origins and Institutionalization of Freedom (Three-lecture series on February 24, 25, 26. Note: McCosh Hall 10) (webcast)
Tue, 24 Feb 2009 | Stafford Little Lectures

Orlando Patterson John Cowles Professor of Sociology, Harvard University

A Short History of Freedom: The Origins and Institutionalization of Freedom Three-lecture series. February 24, 25, 26, 2009. (Note: McCosh Hall 10). (webcast)
Wed, 25 Feb 2009 | Stafford Little Lecture

Orlando Patterson John Cowles Professor of Sociology, Harvard University

A Short History of Freedom: The Origins and Institutionalization of Freedom Three-lecture series. February 24, 25, 26, 2009. (Note: McCosh Hall 10) (webcast)
Thu, 26 Feb 2009 | Stafford Little Lecture

Ernesto Zedillo Director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization; former president of Mexico

Latin America: Two Hundred Years of Solitude (webcast)
Thu, 05 Mar 2009 | Walter E. Edge Lecture

Nancy Hopkins Amgen, Inc. Professor of Biology, David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mirages of Equality: Progress of Women in Science at MIT, 1971-2009 (webcast)
Tue, 31 Mar 2009 | Louis Clark Vanuxem Lecture (Note: 5:30 p.m. in McCosh Hall 10)

Special Event, Tribute to Odetta Panel Discussion and Concert

"A Tribute to Odetta" concert and "Odetta, Folk Music, and Social Activism" panel discussion (NOTE: panel discussion 4:30–6:30 p.m. in McCosh 10; concert at 8:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium) Free ticket for concert required: See http://www.princeton.edu/africanamericanstudies/news/events/odetta.xml for ticket information.
Thu, 09 Apr 2009 | Cosponsored by the Center for African American Studies, the Program in American Studies, the Program in Women and Gender, the Departments of History, Music, and Religion, the Humanities Council, the Centers for Human Values and the Study of Religion, the Lewis Center for the Performing Arts, the James Madison Program, Graduate School Office of Academic Affairs and Diversity, Princeton Theological Seminary, the Vice President for Campus Life, the Office of Religious Life, and the Spencer Trask Fund of University Public Lectures

Tom Ricks Pentagon reporter, Washington Post

Obama's War: Why We Are Stuck in Iraq (webcast)
Mon, 13 Apr 2009 | Stafford Little Lecture (Note: 8:00 p.m. in McCosh Hall 10)

Alex Ross Music critic, The New Yorker

Chacona, Lamento, Walking Blues: Bass Lines of Music History
Tue, 28 Apr 2009 | J. Edward Farnum Lecture (Note: 8:00 p.m. in McCosh Hall 10)

Antonio Busalacchi Professor and Director, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland. Certified sommelier and member, Society of Wine Educators

The Impact of Climate Change on Global Viticulture (webcast)
Tue, 28 Apr 2009 | Cosponsored by Louis Clark Vanuxem Lecture Fund, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Princeton Environmental Institute (Note: 5:30 p.m. in McCosh Hall 10)