Renaissance Weekend is the name for a recurring series of invitation-only gatherings founded and hosted by Linda and Philip Lader. The concept was founded in 1981 with the objective of bridging traditional divides of professions, politics, religion, race and age. It substantially increased in prominence when repeat-participant

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

was elected president in 1992. A few other notable past participants include

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

, Supreme Court Justices

Harry Blackmun Harold Andrew Blackmun (November 12, 1908 – March 4, 1999) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 to 1994. Appointed by President Richard Nixon, Blackmun ultima ...

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; Bader; March 15, 1933 – September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until Death and state funeral of Ruth Bader ...

and

Stephen Breyer Stephen Gerald Breyer ( ; born August 15, 1938) is an American lawyer and retired jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1994 until his retirement in 2022. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton, and r ...

Donald Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, businessman, and naval officer who served as United States Secretary of Defense, secretary of defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and again ...

Daniel Schorr Daniel Louis Schorr (August 31, 1916 – July 23, 2010) was an American journalist who covered world news for more than 60 years. He was most recently a Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio (NPR). Schorr won three Emmy Awards for his te ...

Wolf Blitzer Wolf Isaac Blitzer (born March 22, 1948) is an American journalist, television news anchor, and author who has been a CNN reporter since 1990, and who currently serves as one of the principal anchors at the network. He has been a host of ''The ...

Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin ( ; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three extravehicular activity, spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission, and was the Lunar Module Eag ...

, and Mary Chapin Carpenter among many others. Organized several times throughout the year, each Renaissance Weekend consists of seminars, discussions, informal lectures and performances. Substantive conversations and program contributions by all participants are fostered by a casual, welcoming culture. Civility, non-partisanship, non-commercialism and public-spirited impact are the gatherings’ hallmarks.

History

Renaissance Weekend was founded, and continues to be hosted, by Linda and Philip Lader as a forum. The largest gathering is still held around New Year's with the smaller weekends throughout the year.
More than 155 Renaissance Weekends have taken place. Among the 60 families who initiated the first Weekend on Hilton Head Island were

Marian Wright Edelman Marian Wright Edelman ( Wright; born June 6, 1939) is an American activist for civil rights and children's rights. She is the founder and president emerita of the Children's Defense Fund. She influenced leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, an ...

David Gergen David Richmond Gergen (born May 9, 1942) is an American political commentator and former presidential adviser who served during the administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. He is currently a senior political ...

Fred Malek Frederic Vincent Malek (December 22, 1936 – March 24, 2019) was an American business executive, political advisor, fraudster, and philanthropist. He was a president of Marriott Hotels and Northwest Airlines and an assistant to United States Pr ...

, Governors

Richard Riley Richard Wilson Riley (born January 2, 1933) is an American politician who served as the sixth United States secretary of education from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton and as the 111th governor of South Carolina from 1979 to 1987. He ...

and

Terry Sanford James Terry Sanford (August 20, 1917April 18, 1998) was an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford served as the 65th Governor of North Carolina from 1961 to 1965, was a two-time U.S. pre ...

Stan Smith Stanley Roger Smith (born December 14, 1946) is an American former professional tennis player. A world No. 1 player and two-time major singles champion (at the 1971 US Open and 1972 Wimbledon Championships), Smith also paired with Bob Lutz t ...

Diane Sawyer Lila Diane Sawyer (; born December 22, 1945) is an American television broadcast journalist known for anchoring major programs on two networks including ''ABC World News Tonight'', ''Good Morning America'', ''20/20 (U.S. TV series), 20/20'', and ...

, and

Tim Wirth Timothy Endicott Wirth (born September 22, 1939) is an American politician from Colorado who served as a Democrat in both the United States Senate (1987–1993) and the United States House of Representatives (1975–1987). He also served in se ...

. Republican and Democratic candidates for US President, and 26

Nobel laureates The Nobel Prizes (, ) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in th ...

, have attended. Presidents

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

and

co-chaired Renaissance Weekend's 25th anniversary. The 40th anniversary Weekend was celebrated by 1,000 participants.

Format and Activities

Attendees design their own schedules from the available activities, talks, and sessions in the event program. The program features a range of topics connected to civic, industry, political and arts interests. Additional activities are available for youths in attendance. People from a range of professional backgrounds and interests attend the events. Invitees are nominated by past participants. The criteria for invitation are professional innovation and/or distinction, potential contribution to the program's breadth and depth, and likely commitment to Renaissance's off-the-record, civility, non-partisan and non-commercial spirit and traditions. The gatherings are organized by a non-profit institute. To preserve its independence no corporate sponsorships are sought. Attendees cover the cost of participation. Specific Renaissance Weekends’ attendance are not disclosed publicly; the gatherings discourage personal screen device usage; and the Renaissance Institute does not seek publicity. Commercial or overtly promotional activity is not permitted at the Weekends.

References

{{Reflist Social events Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Events in South Carolina 1981 establishments in South Carolina