The David Rockefeller Lecture
The David Rockefeller Lectureship is awarded to a distinguished African from either the governmental or non-governmental sectors. The lectureship recognizes Mr. Rockefeller’s interest in African affairs, and honors his service to the Council.
The Rockefeller Lectureship was established in 1985 when Mr. Rockefeller retired as Chairman of the Council’s Board. Mr. Rockefeller was Chairman from 1970 and served as a Director on the Board from 1945 to 1985. To honor his truly unique and global role, a group of Council members and other friends, including the Rockefeller Foundation, created the David Rockefeller Fund, which makes this lectureship possible.
Recent Rockefeller Lectures:
General Meeting
David Rockefeller Lecture with Nahas Gideon Angula, Prime Minister, Republic of Namibia
Speaker: Nahas Gideon Angula, Prime Minister, Republic of Namibia
Presider: Adrienne Germain, President, International Women's Health Coalition
April 27, 2010
General Meeting
The David Rockefeller Lecture
Speaker: Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Presider: Princeton N. Lyman, Adjunct Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
September 27, 2007
General Meeting
2005-06 David Rockefeller Lecture: A Conversation with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Speaker: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia
Presider: Princeton N. Lyman, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow and Director of Africa Policy Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
March 21, 2006
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General Meeting
Meeting with President Joaquim Chissano
Presider: Catherine Bertini, Under Secretary General - Management, United Nations; former Executive Director, UN World Food Programme
Speaker: Joaquim A. Chissano, President, Republic of Mozambique;, Chairman, African Union
September 24, 2003
General Meeting
A Conversation with Thabo Mbeki
Presider: Robert C. Orr, Vice President and Washington Director, Council on Foreign Relations
Speaker: Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa
September 12, 2002
General Meeting
A Meeting with Thabo Mbeki
Presider: Robert E. Rubin, Director, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Citigroup; former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
Speaker: Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa; Chairman, African Union
September 12, 2002
General Meeting
Botswana’s Case for Development Diamonds
Presider: Richard M. Moose, President, Institute for Public Research; former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Speaker: Festus Mogae, President, Botswana
June 26, 2001
General Meeting
The Future of Nigeria
Presider: Andrew Young, Co-Chairman, GoodWorks International, Inc.; former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Speaker: Olusegun Obasanjo, President-elect of Nigeria
March 30, 1999
General Meeting
Africa's Renaissance: Zimbabwe's Role in the Region and the World
Presider: Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
Speaker: Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe
September 23, 1997
General Meeting
Nigeria in Crisis: The State of the Nation
Presider: Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Speaker: Wole Soyinka, author, Visiting Professor of African American Studies, Emory University
September 19, 1996
