The Elihu Root Lecture

The Elihu Root Lecture was inaugurated in 1958 to honor a founder of the Council on Foreign Relations who served as its Honorary President from 1921 to 1937. This lecture invites a distinguished American to reflect on his or her professional experience and how it applies to contemporary American foreign policymaking. Past Root lecturers have included Robert McNamara, Jacob Javits, William Fulbright, George Kennan, George Ball, and MacGeorge Bundy, among others.

Recent Root Lectures:

General Meeting

Elihu Root Lecture with General Myers

Presider: John McWethy, Special Correspondent, ABC News
Speaker: Richard B. Myers, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
February 11, 2004
General Meeting

In Search of National Security

Presider: George E. Rupp, President, International Rescue Committee
Speaker: Gary Hart, Of Counsel, Coudert Brothers
January 21, 2003
General Meeting

Integrating Africa into the World Economy: The Challenges Ahead

Presider: Henry Kaufman, President, Henry Kaufman & Company, Inc.
Speaker: James D. Wolfensohn, President, World Bank Group
June 14, 2001
General Meeting

Economic Task Force on Russia - Session IV

May 14, 2001
General Meeting

American Power: Hegemony, Isolationism or Engagement

Presider: Leslie H. Gelb, President, Council on Foreign Relations
Speaker: Samuel R. Berger, U.S. National Security Adviser
October 21, 1999
General Meeting

U.S. Defense Priorities: Engagement and Isolationism

Presider: Peter G. Peterson, Chairman, The Blackstone Group; Chairman, Council on Foreign Relations
Speaker: William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense
December 14, 1998
General Meeting

U.S. Trade Negotiations: Lessons Learned, Lessons Applied

Presider: Julia Chang Bloch
Speaker: Mickey Kantor, Partner, Mayer, Brown & Platt, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce; former U.S. Trade Representative
November 5, 1997

Read