In addition to discussing strategy and programs, Hoover’s biannual Board of Overseers Meetings include talks by Hoover fellows, dinners and social gatherings, and behind-the-scenes looks at institution activities. We are pleased to share the following collection of photos from Hoover’s summer Board of Overseers Meeting, held in July at the institution’s Stanford University campus in order to visually describe the experience.
For more information about attending upcoming Hoover Institution events in California and around the country, contact the Hoover Development Office at 650-725-6715.
The opening reception for the meeting took place during the evening of July 12, on the patio of the Herbert Hoover Memorial Exhibit Pavilion at the southern foot of Hoover Tower.
Tad and Dianne Taube Director and then-chairman of the Board of Overseers Tom Tierney chat with a guest during the reception.
After the reception, guests moved to an enclosed dining area in the courtyard of Hoover Tower for the opening dinner.
Gerard Baker, managing editor of Dow Jones and editor in chief of the Wall Street Journal, delivered the keynote talk at the meeting’s first day. Titled “An English Newspaperman Looks at Britain and America in 2016,” Baker’s remarks addressed the aftermath of the United Kingdom’s Brexit referendum.
Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Distinguished Fellow George P. Shultz was a participant in the lively Q&A period that followed Baker’s talk.
As night fell, Hoover Tower shone in a blue light, as guests enjoyed a postlude on the tower’s thirty-five-bell carillon, originally cast for the Belgian Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair. The carillon was obtained and installed atop Hoover Tower thanks to the efforts of President Hoover.
The second day of the meeting began with a briefing for overseers by Hoover directors, summarizing accomplishments and activities in recent months and outlining plans for the future. Here Tad and Dianne Taube Director Tom Gilligan discusses the impact of Hoover’s “twin pillars of activity”: the Library & Archives and public policy research.
The board meeting also featured a special taping of Uncommon Knowledge featuring Peter Robinson in conversation with author and former senator James Buckley, the brother of William F. Buckley Jr. The meeting coincided with the Library & Archives’ exhibition Civil Discourse: William F. Buckley Jr.’s Firing Line, 1966–1999.
Numerous other Hoover fellows spoke to attendees at the meeting. Here Davies Family Senior Fellow Amy Zegart delivers a talk titled “Foreign Policy Challenges in the Next Administration.”
Senior Fellow John Cochrane was another featured speaker, delivering a talk titled “Policies for Economic Growth”
Senior Fellow Niall Ferguson closed the second day’s program with remarks titled “Populism from Brexit to Trump: A Global Revolt Against the Elites.”
Edward Kasinec, former curator of Slavic and East European Collections at the New York Public Library, led a special session for attendees in which he discussed rare artwork held in the Hoover Archives.
Two board members were awarded the title of Distinguished Overseer this year, Overseers Stephen D. Bechtel Jr. (pictured) and Peyton M. Lake. The photos show Tad and Dianne Taube Director Tom Gilligan and then-chairman of the Board of Overseers Tom Tierney presenting Bechtel with a framed print of the Sumi-e drawing by master painter Drue Kataoka, titled Freedom’s Face Imprinted on the Sky. The institution presents the drawing to honor its most dedicated supporters.
Two board members were awarded the title of Distinguished Overseer this year, Overseers Stephen D. Bechtel Jr. and Peyton M. Lake (pictured). The photos show Tad and Dianne Taube Director Tom Gilligan and then-chairman of the Board of Overseers Tom Tierney presenting Lake with a framed print of the Sumi-e drawing by master painter Drue Kataoka, titled Freedom’s Face Imprinted on the Sky. The institution presents the drawing to honor its most dedicated supporters.
Following the ceremony honoring Lake and Bechtel, Hoover hosted a celebratory lunch in the de Basily room in Hoover Tower. The room features portraits by eighteenth-century Russian masters and other works that are part of the Library & Archives’ Nicolas de Basily Collection.
Hoover also arranged a tour of the construction site of the David and Joan Traitel Building for attendees of the lunch. Hard hats were required for entry into the work zone.
A project manager from Hoover’s construction team points toward the ceiling of what will be Blount Hall, a 440-seat dining and multipurpose room named for Hoover overseer and project contributor Bill Blount.
This eastward view of the construction site reveals the Traitel Building’s position in relation to Hoover Tower and the Hoover Institution’s larger campus.
The Hoover Institution’s Summer Board of Overseers meetings are one of the most anticipated of Hoover’s many annual events for friends and supporters. Hoover hosts other events featuring receptions and talks by Hoover fellows throughout the year around the country; you can learn more by contacting the Hoover Development Office.
To view these images in a slideshow, click here.
