Yale alumni and students enjoyed more than 50 programs led by distinguished faculty and alumni during the University's Alumni Leadership Convocation, which explored 300 years of creativity and discovery both at Yale and by its graduates.
The convocation, one of three major gatherings during Yale's Tercentennial year, brought 1,400 graduates to campus April 19-22. Along with Yale students, who requested more than 4,500 tickets to the various events, the alumni enjoyed discussions on the arts, sciences, medicine, government and business, as well as concerts and other performances featuring alumni and students.
Among the alumni who joined faculty in leading discussions were former President George H.W. Bush, Tom Wolfe, Garry Trudeau, Robert Rubin, Donna Dubinsky, Jack Ford, Indra Nooyi, Wendy Wasserstein and Robert Semple. (Click here for photos)
Bush joined President Richard C. Levin, Professor Paul Kennedy, Yale College senior Peter Mazza and graduate student Maria Ivanova in Woolsey Hall for a discussion of public service and the momentous world events that occurred during Bush's tenure as president and vice president.
Yale students also enjoyed nine special masters' teas held in conjunction with the weekend. Alumni Oliver Stone, David Gergen and Wolfe were among the speakers at the teas for students.
Levin said the weekend was conceived to "highlight some of the most prominent ways in which Yale has made a distinguished contribution to the intellectual, social, and cultural life of the nation and the world."
Deans and faculty members who took part in programs during the weekend included Sidney Altman, Richard Benson, Murray Biggs, Harold Bloom, Peter Brooks, Hazel Carby, Ronald Coifman, James Comer, Vilashini Cooppan, Nancy Cott, David Brion Davis, Vincent DeVita, John Faragher, Glenda Gilmore, John Gordon, Anthony Kronman, Marianne LaFrance, Ming Cho Lee, Richard Lifton, Richard Lytle, Benoit Mandelbrot, Steven Marans, Ira Mellman, Michael Merson, Willie Ruff, Vincent Scully, Stephen Skowronek, Lawrence Smith, Jonathan Spence, James Speth, Joan Steitz and Robert A.M. Stern.
Presidential perspective
In the session titled "Yale and Public Service," former president Bush looked back at his years at Yale and in the White House, offering up anecdotes that ranged from the political to the personal.
He recalled his negotiations with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev over the country's occupation of East Germany. While our allies in France and England thought it might be too soon to press the Soviets to withdraw, recalled Bush, it was Gorbachev himself who first suggested granting the country "self-determination."
"I honestly believe that the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany was a landmark for the end of the Cold War," said Bush, noting that the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union "happened more rapidly than we thought it would."
He cautioned that "it is important that we remain engaged" with Russia as well as the other countries of the world. "The U.S. has to reach out. We can't treat everyone else with arrogance because we're the only superpower," he said.
Today, the United States should also be cautious about relying too heavily on the United Nations to resolve conflicts and keep the peace, said Bush. "You can't be too starry-eyed about what the U.N. can do."
Noting his pride that his sons Jeb and George W. are pursuing their own careers in public service (as governor of Florida and U.S. president, respectively), Bush said he advises all young men and women to consider careers in the government or nonprofit sectors. "There is no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others," he said.
Many of the presentations from the Alumni Leadership Convocation "300 Years of Creativity and Discovery" are available on the Yale Tercentennial website in both video and audio form.
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