Posted by From George Washington to today
James M. Banner, Jr. PhD, GSAS '68
Cosponsored by The Yale Club of Washington, DC, and The Princeton Club of Washington
Drawing on a study, in which he participated, originally prepared for the Impeachment Inquiry of the House Committee of the Judiciary in 1974 and brought up to date under his editorship and published in July as Presidential Misconduct: From George Washington to Today, James Banner will offer his reflections on the long history of executive branch wrongdoing. It’s a sobering record, but how to assess it on its own and in comparison with official behavior elsewhere is not at all clear. Nor is it easy to judge the effectiveness of existing mechanisms and efforts to deter illegal acts and unethical conduct. Audience participation will be encouraged.
This event is FREE, but registration is required.
Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing.
James M. Banner, Jr., holds a B.A. from Yale and a Ph.D. from Columbia. He was a member of the history department of Princeton from 1966 to 1980, which he left to found the American Association for the Advancement of the Humanities. A former Guggenheim Fellow, he is the author of many books and articles in American history, the discipline of history, education, and public affairs. They include To the Hartford Convention: The Federalists and the Origins of Party Politics in Massachusetts, 1789-1815; with Harold C. Cannon, The Elements of Teaching and The Elements of Learning; and Being a Historian: An Introduction to the Professional World of History. A book on revisionist history, tentatively entitled “Battles over the Past: Revisionist History—What It Is, Why We Have It,” is under contract with Yale University Press.
A note on our venue: The City Tavern Club opened in 1962, during JFK’s Presidency. Two of the Club’s founders were David and Evangeline Bruce, who were close friends of John and Jacqueline Kennedy. David Bruce was a career diplomat who was appointed Ambassador to the United Kingdom by President Kennedy.
The City Tavern Club has extended a special invitation to the members of ColumbiaDC for membership at the City Tavern Club. The CTC’s historic Federal-Style clubhouse, located in the heart of Georgetown, is one of oldest buildings in the nation’s capital, the sole remaining founding-era tavern in Washington, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Please feel free to reach out to the Club Manager Heather Herfel (at 202 337-8770 or [email protected]), if you would like to learn more about the Club.
