The Waldo Family Lecture Series on International Relations is a lecture series which takes place at

Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (ODU) is a Public university, public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Established in 1930 as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, it began by educating people with fewer ...

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

. The university's first endowed lecture series was endowed by the Waldo family in 1985 to honor the memories of Loren Pierce Waldo, Jr., William Joseph Waldo, Robert Hendren Waldo, Susan Waldo O'Hara, Julia Ann Waldo Campbell, and Harry Creekmur Waldo. International Relations was chosen as the topic for the lecture series due to the University's proximity to the International Port of Hampton Roads and the presence in Norfolk of the world's largest naval installation. Beginning in 1987, guest speakers for the lectures have come from such diverse fields as government, public service, foreign affairs, and journalism. Lectures have had such themes as "The Future of the West in a Changing World," "Human Rights in the 21st Century", "America in the World - All Tactics, No Strategy," and "Regaining Strategic Competence: Empathy as the Foundation of Foreign Policy and National Security Strategy," and have discussed such issues as the shortage of doctors in third-world countries, the 2008 financial crisis, and the diminishing role of Congress in the United States. The 2023 lecture took place October 12, 2023, at Old Dominion University and featured General H. R. McMaster, retired United States Army

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

and National Security Advisor who made his name as the hero of the

Battle of 73 Easting The Battle of 73 Easting was fought on 26 February 1991, during the Gulf War, between Coalition armored forces ( US VII Corps and UK 1st Armoured Division) and Iraqi armored forces (Republican Guard and Tawakalna Division). It was named for a ...

in the first

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

Past speakers

George S. McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...

(1987), Senator, U.S. Presidential Candidate (1972) *

John B. Anderson John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. A member of ...

(1988), U.S. Presidential Candidate (Independent Party, 1980), Congressman, Executive Director of Council for National Interest * Seymour M. Hersh (1989), Investigative Journalist, Pulitzer Prize Winner, Political Writer *

Thomas R. Pickering Thomas Reeve Pickering (born November 5, 1931) is a former American diplomat. Among his many appointments, he served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 1989 to 1992. Early life and education Born in Orange, New Jersey, Pickering is ...

(1991), Ambassador to the United Nations, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs *

James R. Schlesinger James Rodney Schlesinger (February 15, 1929 – March 27, 2014) was an American economist and statesman who was best known for serving as Secretary of Defense from 1973 to 1975 under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Prior to becom ...

(1994), Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Energy *

Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson (; ; born 21 May 1944) is an Irish politician who served as the president of Ireland from December 1990 to September 1997. She was the country's first female president. Robinson had previously served as a senato ...

(2006), President of Ireland, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights *

John Warner John William Warner III (February 18, 1927 – May 25, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Republican Party, Republican United Stat ...

(2008), U.S. Senator, Chair of Senate Armed Services Committee *

Zbigniew Brzezinski Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzeziński (, ; March 28, 1928 – May 26, 2017), known as Zbig, was a Polish-American diplomat and political scientist. He served as a counselor to Lyndon B. Johnson from 1966 to 1968 and was Jimmy Carter's National Securi ...

(2009), National Security Adviser (1977-1981), Bush National Security Advisory Task Force * Frederick Kempe (2010), President of

Atlantic Council The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, favoring Atlanticism, founded in 1961. It manages sixteen regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic prosp ...

R. Nicholas Burns Robert Nicholas Burns (born January 28, 1956) is an American diplomat and international relations scholar. He served as the United States ambassador to China from 2022 to 2025. Burns has had a 25-year career in the State Department and has serv ...

(2013), Ambassador, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs * Colonel Jack H. Jacobs, U.S. Army, retired (2018), Medal of Honor recipient, military analyst for NBC and MSNBC, Vice-Chairman of Medal of Honor Foundation, U.S. Military Academy McDermott Chair of Politics. * General H. R. McMaster, U.S. Army, retired (2023), retired

for the United States Army and National Security Advisor to

President Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

References

{{Old Dominion University Old Dominion University University and college lecture series 1987 establishments in Virginia Recurring events established in 1987 International relations education