Introductory Remarks: Douglas Brinkley
I am so pleased to introduce today’s guest speaker, Douglas Brinkley.
Doug is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, but more simply put, he is one of the foremost presidential historians of our time. You likely recognize his face as a frequent commentator on CBS, CNN, and MSNBC, or his name from the spines of books on your nightstand, including Cronkite, The Nixon Tapes, and American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race, the latest of his many New York Times bestsellers.
Recently, Doug was chosen by the New-York Historical Society as their official U.S. Presidential Historian. Given his vast knowledge and the varied capacities in which he shares his expertise in the world of public history, The Chicago Tribune dubbed him, “America’s new past master.”
Today marks our second time welcoming Doug to a Sarah Lawrence event, though the first time in person. He was gracious enough to join us as a guest in our Justice event series in 2020; on November 6 of that year, as the nation—and the world—waited for the results of the 2020 presidential election, Doug joined me and a very large, very interested virtual audience to share his historian’s take on the events that were unfolding.
On an occasion such as Commencement, when our excited anticipation of the future is often tinged with thoughts of the past, it feels especially appropriate to have Doug with us today.
Please join me in welcoming Douglas Brinkley.