Governor’s Lecture to feature historian, author Doris Kearns Goodwin

Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin will present “Leadership in Turbulent Times” at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 via livestream.

The free event is the 25th annual Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities, presented by Humanities Nebraska, and the second lecture in the 2020-21 E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues. The in-person livestream event at the Lied Center for Performing Arts is sold out. To register for the at-home livestream, click here. The lecture will not be archived online.

To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Lied Center event will feature socially distanced seating. In addition, all patrons, volunteers and staff will be required to wear face coverings while inside the venue. For more information on the Lied’s ticketing policies and health and safety measures, click here.

Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker and best-selling author. She earned the Pulitzer Prize in History for her 1994 biography, “No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II.” Her 2005 biography, “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” was the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s film “Lincoln.” Her 2018 book, “Leadership in Turbulent Times,” provides an accessible roadmap to leadership amid her five decades of historical expertise. Goodwin is often called upon by the news media and late night TV hosts, as well as companies, educational institutions and nonprofits, to discuss leadership and provide historical context for current events, including the COVID-19 pandemic. She graduated magna cum laude from Colby College and earned a doctoral degree from Harvard University, where she taught government, including a course on the American presidency.

The lecture will be followed by a brief moderated Q&A.

A pre-forum talk by David Forsythe, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, is available here.

This year’s E.N. Thompson series, “Regeneration: Leadership and Hope for a Changing Planet,” focuses on how people can and should thoughtfully respond to current issues, from COVID-19 to climate change to political polarization.

The series began with a lecture by Mary Pipher, author, activist and clinical psychologist, on Sept. 2. Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, an indigenous climate activist and hip-hop artist, will give a talk at 7 p.m. Nov. 4; a youth panel on climate change will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 23; and Ann Bancroft, polar explorer, climate advocate and philanthropist, will speak at 7 p.m. March 31. All events will be at the Lied Center except for the youth panel, which will be at the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts.

All events besides the Goodwin lecture will be streamed on the E.N. Thompson Forum website and available on NET, LNKTV City and LNKTV Education. Events other than the Sept. 22 date will also be accessible on campus channel 4 and KRNU radio 90.3 FM. All talks are interpreted for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

The E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues is a cooperative project of the Cooper Foundation, Lied Center and the university. It was established in 1988 with the purpose of bringing a diversity of viewpoints on international and public policy issues to the university and people of Nebraska to promote understanding and encourage discussion.