The Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium is a

lecture series A public lecture (also known as an open lecture) is one means employed for educating the public in the arts and sciences. The Royal Institution has a long history of public lectures and demonstrations given by prominent experts in the field. In ...

History

Established in 1967, the MSE Symposium is designed to present an issue of national importance to the university in its entirety, as well as to the

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

and Washington D.C. communities. The series is named in honor of

Milton S. Eisenhower Milton Stover Eisenhower (September 15, 1899 – May 2, 1985) was an American academic administrator. He served as president of three major American universities: Kansas State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Johns Hopkins Universit ...

, who served as University President from 1956-1967 and again from 1971-1972. He was the younger brother of U.S. President

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

. The Symposium has established a reputation as a forum for the free exchange of ideas and the analysis of issues at the forefront of the nation’s conscience. All events are free and open to the public.

Leadership

The Symposium is run entirely by undergraduate students at the University’s Homewood Campus. The co-chairs are responsible for choosing a theme, securing speakers, raising the necessary funds, recruiting a student staff, and publicizing the series. There is a staff of about 20 students. The chairs for the 2019 symposium are Siena DeMatteo, Taran Krishnan, Mickey Sloat, and Dave Taylor.

Symposium structure

Symposium events are held on the Homewood Campus of the

. Each speaker delivers an address to attendees, usually followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience. Additionally, some speakers hold a meet and greet session with the audience after the event.

Symposium themes

2019

"The Butterfly Effect"

Shannon Watts Shannon Watts (born January 1, 1971) is an American gun violence prevention activist and the founder of Moms Demand Action. Watts has campaigned for a number of gun control candidates across the country, including President Joe Biden. In 2016, ...

, gun control activist and founder of Moms Demand Action; Kenan Thompson, comedian and SNL cast member;

Jim Acosta Abilio James Acosta (born April 17, 1971) is an American broadcast journalist, anchor and the chief domestic correspondent for CNN. Previously, Acosta served as the network's chief White House correspondent during the Trump administration, in w ...

, journalist and CNN Chief White House Correspondent; Farida Nabourema, activist and blogger. Chairs: Siena DeMatteo, Taran Krishnan, Dave Taylor, and Mickey Sloat

2018

"The New Social Contract" Chairs: Alex Kaplan, Alejo Perez-Stable Husni, Indira Rayala, and Maddy Speal

2017

"Celebrating 50 Years" Chairs: Rachel Biderman, Abby Biesman, Charles Crepy, and Tiffany Le

2016

"Facing Fracture" Chairs: Sam Sands, Theodore Kupfer, Olivia Choi, and Eyal Foni

2015

''Voices that Shaped Today, Visions that Frame Tomorrow'' Chairs: Jeremy Fraenkel, Nicole Michelson, Ariel Zahler, and Nadeem Bandealy

2014

''The Generation Electric: Recharging the Promise of Tomorrow'' Chairs: Annabel Barnicke, Daniel Elkin, P. Nash Jenkins, and Connor Kenehan

2013

''Learning from Experience: The Path Ahead for Generation Y'' Chairs: Aidan Christofferson, Aaron Tessler, Francesca Pinelli, and Elias Rosenblatt

2012

''The Power of the Individual: How One Voice can Change the World'' Chairs: Chris Alvarez, Corey Rogoff, Eva Marie, and Najarro Smith

2011

''America's Boundless Possibilities: Innovate, Advance, Transform'' Chairs: Jonathan Kornblau, Elizabeth Goodstein, and Jon Mest

2010

''The Global Network: America's Changing Role in an Interconnected World'' Chairs: Mohammad Elsayed, Danielle Calderone, and Nicole Ackerman

2009

''A Transition Between Generations in a Changing America'' Chairs: Danielle Fair, Michelle Harran, and Daniel Ingram

2008

''A More Perfect Union: Partnership, Progress & Prosperity'' Chairs: Omar Atassi, Zachary Epstein-Peterson, Brian Kim, and Lily Seidel

2007

''Renewing American Culture: The Perspectives that Shape our Identity'' Chairs: Jon Bernhardt, Jonathan Collins, and Nora Krinitsky

2006

''Finding Our Voice: The Role of America's Youth''

2005

''American Mass Media: Redefining the Democratic Landscape''

2004

''Rebuilding America: Peace and Prosperity at What Price?''

2003

''The Great American Experiment: a Juxtaposition of Capitalism and Democracy''

1999

''Redefining the Role of the Media'' Noah Wyle and Eriq La Salle of the

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Dr. Drew Pinsky David Drew Pinsky (born September 4, 1958), commonly known as Dr. Drew, is an American media personality, internist, and addiction medicine specialist. He hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show ''Loveline'' from the show's inceptio ...

, co-host of Loveline, the popular show on both radio and MTV; Supreme Court Justice

Antonin Scalia Antonin Gregory Scalia (; March 11, 1936 – February 13, 2016) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2016. He was described as the intellectu ...

, of the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

;

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...

, Academy Award-winning American screenwriter and filmmaker's credits include Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Platoon, Natural Born Killers and Wall Street; Phoebe Eng, author of Warrior Lessons: An Asian American Woman's Journey Into Power. She is also the co-founding publisher of A. Magazine, a national consumer magazine targeted to the Asian population in the U.S.; Nadine Strossen, president of the American Civil Liberties Union in 1991. A professor of law at

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...

, she has written, lectured and practiced extensively in the areas of constitutional law, civil liberties and international human rights. Chairs:

Feras Mousilli Feras and the alternative transliteration Firas ( ar, فراس) is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include: Feras *Feras Antoon (born 1975), Syrian-born Canadian businessman mainly in pornographic materials *Feras Esmaeel (b ...

and Sehla Ashai

1995

''Framing Society: A Century of Cinema'' Chairs: Chris Aldrich and Matt Gross

1993

''Who Am I? The Changing Role of Human Sexuality'' Chairs: Aneesh Chopra and Joe Molko

1973

''Living With Change''

Former Speakers

The Symposium has a history of attracting some of the world’s most prominent leaders, politicians, artists, and scholars. Past MSE Symposium speakers include: *

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' Se ...

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

* Aziz Ansari * Sean Astin * David Axelrod *

Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...

* Cory Booker * Tucker Carlson * Ben Carson * Rubin “Hurricane” Carter *

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...

Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science, military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of ...

* Francis Collins * Ann Coulter * Howard Dean *

Michael Dukakis Michael Stanley Dukakis (; born November 3, 1933) is an American retired lawyer and politician who served as governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1991. He is the longest-serving governor in Massachusetts history a ...

Elizabeth Edwards Mary Elizabeth Anania Edwards (July 3, 1949 – December 7, 2010) was an American attorney, author, and health care activist. She was married to John Edwards, the former U.S. Senator from North Carolina who was the 2004 United States Democrati ...

Ruth Faden Ruth R. Faden is an American scientist, academic, and founder of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. She was the Berman Institute's Director from 1995 until 2016, and the inaugural Andreas C. Dracopoulos Director from 2014 to 2016. Fa ...

* Will Ferrell *

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

Buckminster Fuller Richard Buckminster Fuller (; July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983) was an American architect, systems theorist, writer, designer, inventor, philosopher, and futurist. He styled his name as R. Buckminster Fuller in his writings, publishing more t ...

Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U ...

* Malcolm Gladwell *

Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the ''Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films include ...

David Alan Grier David Alan Grier (born June 30, 1956) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as Bernard on '' Damon'' (1998), as David Bellows on ''Life with Bonnie'' (2002–2004), as Joe Carmichael on ''The Carmichael Show'' (2015� ...

* Christopher Hitchens * David Horowitz *

Jon Huntsman, Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. (born March 26, 1960) is an American businessman, diplomat and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Ambassador of the United States t ...

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...

* John Kasich *

Rory Kennedy Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (born December 12, 1968) is an American documentary filmmaker who is the eleventh and youngest child of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel. Kennedy has made documentary films that center on social is ...

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

N. Gregory Mankiw Nicholas Gregory Mankiw (; born February 3, 1958) is an American macroeconomist who is currently the Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Mankiw is best known in academia for his work on New Keynesian economics. Mankiw h ...

Chris Matthews Christopher John Matthews (born December 17, 1945) is an American political commentator, retired talk show host, and author. Matthews hosted his weeknight hour-long talk show, ''Hardball with Chris Matthews'', on America's Talking and later on M ...

Eugene McCarthy Eugene Joseph McCarthy (March 29, 1916December 10, 2005) was an American politician, writer, and academic from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. ...

* Gail McGovern *

Seth Meyers Seth Adam Meyers (born December 28, 1973) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, and television host. He hosts ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'', a late-night talk show on NBC. Prior to that, he was a cast member and head writer for NBC ...

* Hasan Minhaj *

Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...

Wes Moore Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American politician, investment banker, author, and television producer. He is the governor-elect of Maryland, after defeating Republican Dan Cox in the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial ele ...

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. The son of Lebanese immigrants to the Un ...

* Edward James Olmos *

Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as well ...

* Charles Percy * Craig Robinson *

Karl Rove Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) is an American Republican political consultant, policy advisor, and lobbyist. He was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during the George W. Bush administration until his resignation on August 3 ...

Linda Sarsour Linda Sarsour (born 1980) is an American political activist. She was co-chair of the 2017 Women's March, the 2017 Day Without a Woman, and the 2019 Women's March. She is also a former executive director of the Arab American Association of N ...

* Congressman Aaron Schock * Michael Steele *

Megan Twohey Megan Twohey () is an American journalist with ''The New York Times''. She has written investigative reports for Reuters, the ''Chicago Tribune,'' and the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel''. Twohey's investigative reports have exposed exploitative ...

Jimmy Wales Jimmy Donal Wales (born August 7, 1966), also known on Wikipedia by the pseudonym Jimbo, is an American-British Internet entrepreneur, webmaster, and former financial trader. He is a co-founder of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedi ...

* Dr. Ruth Westheimer * Jessica Williams *

Valerie Plame Wilson Valerie Elise Plame (born August 13, 1963) is an American writer, spy novelist, and former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer. As the subject of the 2003 Plame affair, also known as the CIA leak scandal, Plame's identity as a CIA officer ...

* Bob Woodward * Howard Zinn {{div col end

References

External links

MSE Website
Johns Hopkins University 1967 establishments in Maryland