Yale Bulletin and Calendar

November 5, 2004|Volume 33, Number 10

David Halberstam

Lecture to look at 'Iraq and
the Shadow of Vietnam'

David Halberstam, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Vietnam war, will talk about "Iraq and the Shadow of Vietnam" during his visit to campus as a Chubb Fellow on Wednesday, Nov. 10.

His lecture will take place at 4:30 p.m. in Rm. 127 of the Law School, 127 Wall St. It is free and open to the public.

A distinguished social and political commentator, Halberstam rose to prominence as one of a handful of American reporters who refused to accept the official optimism about the Vietnam War. He won the Pulitzer Prize at age 30 for his prophetic reporting on the war. Beginning with "The Best and the Brightest," a detailed account of how and why the United States became involved in Vietnam, his most recent 14 books have all been national bestsellers.

Halberstam has written on subjects as diverse as the rise of modern media ("The Powers that Be"), the ascent of Japan as an economic superpower ("The Reckoning") and the Eisenhower era ("The Fifties"). A columnist for ESPN.com's Page 2, he has written five books on sports, including "Summer of '49," the story of the pennant race between the Yankees and the Red Sox. His 2002 book "Firehouse" was a portrait of the men of Engine 40, Ladder 35 in Manhattan, which lost 12 of its 13 firefighters in the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. In his 2003 collection of essays, "Defining a Nation: Our America and the Source of its Strength," Halberstam outlines the key issues that have shaped the American character and reflects on America's post-war evolution.

Bob Woodward called Halberstam "the journalistic father to those of us who went into journalism because of what he did in Vietnam." Mark Bowden, author of "Black Hawk Down," wrote, "The best war reporter of his generation, he has also become one of the great synthesizers of modern American history."

Halberstam began his career as the lone reporter for the Daily Times Leader in West Point, Mississippi, and later wrote for The Nashville Tennessean before joining The New York Times in 1960. He has received 20 honorary degrees and numerous journalism awards.

The Chubb Fellowship is devoted to encouraging and aiding Yale students interested in the operations of government, culture and public service. Established in 1936 through the generosity of Hendon Chubb (Yale 1895), the program is based in Timothy Dwight College. Each year three or four distinguished women and men have been appointed as visiting Chubb Fellows. While at Yale, they have close, informal contact with students and deliver a public lecture. Former Chubb Fellows include Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter; Prime Ministers Clement Atlee and Mario Soares; authors Toni Morrison and Carlos Fuentes; choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov; and journalist Walter Cronkite.

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Campus Notes