Kissinger to Speak at Westmont Luncheon

Henry Kissinger, secretary of state from 1973-1977 and a Nobel Peace Laureate, will discuss world events and diplomacy at a Westmont-sponsored luncheon Wednesday, Oct. 9. Tickets for this event are no longer available.

“Renowned for his unparalleled skills in the art of diplomacy, Dr. Kissinger is one of the shrewdest and most articulate people ever to work in Washington,” says Westmont President Gayle D. Beebe. “He understands firsthand the delicate balance of world power and America’s influence. Considering the state of affairs in Syria and other countries in the Middle East, it's an incredible time to hear his wisdom.”

Kissinger, 90, remains an influential public figure whose opinion on foreign policy is still sought by U.S. presidents, secretaries of state and other world leaders.

Founder and chairman of Kissinger Associates, an international consulting firm, he served as national security adviser and secretary of state in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to chair the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America until it ceased operation in 1985. Later, he served on the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, the Commission on Integrated Long-Term Strategy of the National Security Council and Defense Department, and the Defense Policy Board since 2001.

Kissinger graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College in 1950 and received a master’s degree and doctorate from Harvard University in 1952 and 1954. He won the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, in 1977 and the Medal of Liberty, given to 10 foreign-born, American leaders, in 1986.

Kissinger was born in Germany, came to the United States in 1938, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1943. He served in the Army from 1943 to 1946. He taught on the faculty at Harvard University in both the Department of Government and the Center for International Affairs from 1954 until 1969, and he directed the Harvard International Seminar from 1952 to 1969.

Kissinger has written several memoirs and more than a dozen books on foreign policy, including “On China” (2011), “Does America Need a Foreign Policy?” (2001) “Diplomacy” (1994), “A World Restored” (1973) and “American Foreign Policy: Three essays” (1969). His first memoir, “The White House Years” (1979), won a National Book Award.