Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Hackett Fischer will deliver this semester's Snyder Lecture today on how America's greatest presidents fashioned new methods of leadership during difficult times.
Fischer, a professor of American history at Brandeis University, is a prominent scholar known for criticizing his profession's status quo, according to James Glaser, Tufts' dean of undergraduate education. Glaser said this made Fischer a perfect candidate for the Richard E. Snyder President's Lecture Series, which aims to bring speakers who have challenged conventional thinking to campus.
Benjamin Carp, an assistant professor of American history at Tufts, said that Fischer is unique in that his work spans across disciplines and appeals to people outside of the academic arena.
Fischer's research, particularly on Paul Revere and George Washington, has "bridged the gap between academic and popular history," Carp said. "He's the kind of person whose work inspires further conversation."
Fischer's talk will be called "Open Leaders: Washington, Lincoln, and FDR."
Glaser said that he is looking forward to hearing Fischer speak, adding that the historian was dubbed a "mesmerizing speaker" in last week's Boston Globe. "I'm really excited and think it'll be a great speech," Glaser said.
The lecture series began in 2004 as a result of a generous gift given by Richard Snyder (A '55), a former chairman and chief executive officer of the Simon & Schuster publishing company.
Snyder founded the series with the intention of bringing speakers who have defied common beliefs in their fields to campus. Former Harvard University President Lawrence Summers and biologist and University of Massachusetts, Amherst Professor Lynn Margulis delivered the last two installments of the series, respectively.
Carp felt that the speech will tie into current issues, especially in the context of the upcoming presidential election, because he said Fischer's speech on presidential leadership comes during a time of crisis. "There is the potential for this to be really instructive," Carp said.
Glaser said that in choosing a speaker, the administration does not simply look for candidates who are controversial, but those who will inspire intellectual conversation around campus.
"We want people who stir the pot. They tend to create conversation," Glaser said.
After administrators choose several candidates for each lecture, President Lawrence Bacow makes the final decision on who will speak, Glaser said.
Fischer has written a number of books, including "Washington's Crossing," for which he won the Pulitzer Prize, and "Historian's Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought," in which he warned historians against using information known today to explain decision makers' past actions. He is University Professor and Earl Warren Professor of History at Brandeis.
The lecture will be held in Cabot Auditorium today from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., with a reception following in the Hall of Flags. It is free and open to all students, but attendees must obtain tickets at the front desk of Dowling Hall.
