What secrets do history’s luminaries share? Widely considered to be one of today’s most insightful biographers, Walter Isaacson captures the unique cultural currents surrounding remarkable leaders and creative thinkers in his best-selling books on Steve Jobs, Leonardo DaVinci, Jennifer Doudna, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin and others.
On April 22, Isaacson will discuss how success came to these exceptional figures, through the questioning of conventional wisdom and a willingness to explore new ideas, when he presents “Timeless Leadership,” this year’s Rudolf G Schade Lecture on History, Ethics and Law at Elmhurst University.
Bringing audiences closer to these history-makers, Isaacson analyzes the leadership traits they share, and the lessons they can teach us on fostering the creativity necessary to compete in a new century of globalization.
Walter Isaacson is a professor of history at Tulane University and an advisory partner at Perella Weinberg, a financial services firm based in New York City. He has been the CEO of the Aspen Institute, the CEO of CNN and the editor of Time magazine.
Steve Jobs (2011), Isaacson’s worldwide bestselling biography of the cofounder of Apple, is based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs conducted over two years, as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors and colleagues. He is also the author of The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race (2021); Leonardo da Vinci (2017); Einstein: His Life and Universe (2007); Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (2003), and many other titles.
In addition to his work as a teacher, author and executive, Isaacson is an active civic and philanthropic leader. He is chair emeritus of Teach for America, and from 2005-2007 he was vice-chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which oversaw the rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. He also is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, and serves on the boards of United Airlines and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Isaacson’s talk, “Timeless Leadership,” begins at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel. A book signing will follow the lecture, and copies of some of Isaacson’s titles will be available for purchase before the lecture, beginning at 6:15 p.m. Public lectures and other cultural programming at Elmhurst University support community engagement and lifelong learning, and prepare students to thrive as adaptive leaders.
Admission is $15; free for Elmhurst University students, faculty, staff and alumni. More information and tickets are available at elmhurst.edu/Cultural. Questions? Email [email protected].