The Practice of Citizenship Series presents: Doris Kearns Goodwin: Leadership for a More Perfect Union: Lessons from America at 250
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin offers a powerful reflection on our nation’s extraordinary journey—from the founding ideals of 1776 to the challenges and triumphs that have defined each generation. Drawing on her study of visionary leaders, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Lyndon Johnson, Goodwin explores how leadership, civic courage, and a shared sense of purpose have guided America through moments of division and transformation. In this dynamic and timely presentation, Goodwin connects the lessons of history to today, urging us to unite around our common purpose and consider how we can work together toward a more inclusive, hopeful, and united future. With a personal connection to the nation’s founding—through an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War—she brings a unique, intimate perspective on the American experiment. Audiences will leave inspired, uplifted, and equipped to think differently about leadership, unity, and their role in shaping that future.
Sponsors
George and Carol Bauer Leaders Academy
John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics
Office of the Provost
Weidenbaum Center
About the speaker:
Doris Kearns Goodwin’s work for President Johnson inspired her career as a presidential historian. Her first book, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, was a critical and commercial success. She followed up with the Pulitzer Prize–winning No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Homefront in World War II. She earned the Lincoln Prize for Team of Rivals, in part the basis for Steven Spielberg’s film Lincoln, and the Carnegie Medal for The Bully Pulpit, about the friendship between Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. Her bestselling Leadership: In Turbulent Times was the inspiration for the History Channel docuseries on Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt, which she executive produced through her production company, Pastimes Productions. Goodwin is seen frequently in documentaries and on television news, cable networks and late-night talk shows. She even portrayed herself on an episode of the enduringly successful television show “The Simpsons.” In 2024, she published two books: An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and is currently being developed as a feature film, and her first book for young readers, The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President, which debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2025, she executive produced an eight-part documentary miniseries with Kevin Costner on the American West for the History Channel.
5:30 p.m. | Lecture
6:45 p.m. | Reception
Emerson Auditorium, Knight Hall, Danforth Campus
Registration required | Space is limited | Register here
Assembly Series programs are always free and open to the public, although seating is limited. No large bags or backpacks will be allowed into the event. Parking is available in the Millbrook Parking Garage.
For additional questions, please contact specialevents@wustl.edu