U.S. Air Force Academy Lecture Series

Harmon Memorial Lectures in Military History

Department of History

The oldest lecture series at the Air Force Academy, the Harmon Memorial Lectures in Military History, originated with Lt. Gen. Hubert R. Harmon, the Academy’s first superintendent and a serious student of military history. He died in 1957 after working tirelessly to bring the Air Force Academy into existence. The Academy’s leadership felt greatly indebted to Harmon and sought to honor his accomplishments with the lecture series, which began in 1959.

The late retired Brig. Gen. Alfred Hurley, former permanent professor and head of the Department of History at the Academy, was the action officer for the first Harmon Lecture. He nurtured the program until his retirement in 1980, and his estate has provided support for the lectures since his death in 2013.

The Harmon Lecture series supports two goals: to encourage the interest in contemporary military history and to stimulate a lifelong interest in the study of the history of the military profession. The lectures are published and distributed to interested individuals and organizations throughout the world, and many are used in courses at the Academy.

Joseph A. Reich, Sr., Distinguished Lecture on War, Morality and the Military Profession

Department of Philosophy

The Reich Lecture is intended to complement a required ethics course at the Academy and to support USAFA’s emphasis on applied ethics and character.

Alice McDermott Memorial Lecture in Applied Ethics

Department of Philosophy

The McDermott lecture series, instituted in the spring of 1991, honors the late Alice Patricia McDermott, wife of the first permanent dean of the faculty, Brig. Gen. Robert F. McDermott.

David L. Jannetta Distinguished Lecture in War, Literature & the Arts

Department of English and Fine Arts | Support the Jannetta Lecture

The Jannetta Lecture was endowed by Academy graduate David L. Jannetta ’75. An international affairs major, Jannetta was moved by a 1970s class visit by Joseph Heller who discussed his novel Catch-22. Jannetta wanted cadets to have similar opportunities to experience an author talking about his or her work. Tobias Wolff, author of "In Pharaoh’s Army," was the first lecturer in 2008.

The lecture has spawned a journal and a conference focused on war, literature and the arts. The 2018 conference will be Sept. 20-21, featuring playwright Suzan-Lori Parks as the Jannetta Lecturer.

Ira C. Eaker Distinguished Lecture on National Defense Policy

Department of Political Science

The Ira C. Eaker Distinguished Lecture on National Defense Policy commemorates the significant contributions to national defense policy and security made by Eaker, an air power pioneer, columnist and commentator. It was created in the spring of 1978 when Maj. Gen. and Mrs. Robert J. Smith established an endowment fund for the purpose of presenting an annual lecture program. The lecture is delivered in conjunction with the annual Falcon Foundation board meeting.

The Harry S. Truman Lecture Series

Department of Political Science

The Harry S. Truman Lecture Series exposes cadets to active and retired senior military officers, as well as distinguished national and international personalities, who offer their perspectives on American national security policy and defense policy.

National Character and Leadership Symposium

Support NCLS

The annual National Character and Leadership Symposium (NCLS) is the Air Force Academy’s flagship event on character and leadership. It brings together distinguished scholars, military leaders, corporate executives and world-class athletes to motivate and equip participants for honorable living and effective leadership.

This two-day symposium provides an opportunity for all Academy personnel, visiting university students and faculty, and community members to experience dynamic speakers and take part in group discussions to enhance their own understanding of the importance of sound moral character and good leadership.

“NCLS is a valuable leadership opportunity because you get a chance to see the many moving parts in an organization come together. Additionally, the exposure to military and civilian personnel of all ranks and jobs provides a condensed experience that you will not get anywhere else,” says C2C Meghan Vandermas, who served as NCLS non-commissioned officer in charge for the 2018 symposium. “The thing I took away from several of the speakers was that attitude is everything. Many of the speakers endured tough trials in their lives. As a leader and as an individual, they chose to have a positive attitude, which has shown brightly to those around them.”

Two of the NCLS lectures are supported by Academy graduates through endowments — the Class of ’59 Leadership Lecture and the Class of ’73 John and Lyn Muse Lecture. The entire symposium, as well, benefits from donors who want to provide a wide range of speakers to cadets.

Profession of Arms Speaker Series

The Profession of Arms Speaker Series, coordinated through the Academy’s Center for Character and Leadership Development, explores issues pertinent to modern war fighters with faculty, cadets, visiting scholars and military leaders.

Speakers have discussed the intersection of new technologies and ethical considerations in war and current security issues in South Asia. The series also includes the Air Commanders Symposium, featuring airpower historians and air commanders providing historical context and first-person accounts of important air battles and campaigns.

 

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