Four this evening. I am evan dolly, on behalf of the History Program here, welcome. I should say at the outset, we are able to hold this top thanks to the generous funding of the history fund which is supporting this event. And let me jump straight to introducing our speaker for the evening. Our speaker for this evening is doctor robert chiles. He studied music and found the true faith and began a ph. D. In history in 2012 at the university of maryland. The top he will be giving this evening is a result of that ph. D. Dissertation, i believe. Yes. He has, in the course of this particular research for this project received a couple of prestigious honors the new York State Library Cunningham Research residency, and the new york state archives Ownership Trust hackman residency, to conduct research on governor alfred e. Smith, and as part of his next research project, on a Congress Woman from the state of new jersey and an advocate from the fair labors acts, he has received from the new Je
And historian discusses his book an uncommon man, triumph of Herbert Hoover. Richard norton smith, why did you call your book that you wrote 35 years ago uncommon man . Well, its taken, actually, from the title of a relatively famous hoover speech about the uncommon man. Remember, Vice President henry wallace, who was the second of fdrs Vice President s, gave a famous speech in 1942, i believe, maybe43, about the century of the common man. And wallace, from a left of center perspective, was projecting, in effect, the goals and ambitions of the generation that was fighting world war ii. And it wasnt enough simply to defeat the nazis,c at home, a true democracy. A place where the common man would finally come into his own. And hoover approached this from a different place on the political spectrum. He was, in effect, making the case for what we might call a meritocracy. But something to say, that i shouldnt paraphrase it, but, you know, when you get sick, you want an uncommonly skillful
Manhattan democrats. I cant shake that the link that some people here are pulling for me. [applause] i am delighted to see you here tonight. I was thrilled to get this invitation. I feel right at home here because it is often said i share the politics of alfred e. Smith and the ears of alfred newman. It is an honor to be here with al smith. I never knew your great grandfather. Everything senator mccain told me, the two of them had a great time before prohibition. [laughter] i am not surprised by the final repeal of the 18th amendment. When this matter was submitted, they would readily see it had no place in our constitution. It would be very difficult if not impossible to explain to those who come to this country to make it their business to seek that no such matter as this is ever againthey found all yous go to brooklyn. This was the neighborhood where all smith grew up. He raised his children here. He went to school right around the block. His father died, and he had to go off to wor
Their president ial campaigns. Your book that came out catholicism and American Freedom chl what was the premise behind it . What did you learn . I wanted to look at how american idea of freedom intersected with catholic global tradition. What i learned moment of conflict and overlap. Conflicts over slavery. Not many catholics were abolitionists, for example, but lots of overlap to rempl the economy. Ideas in the 50s about americanization and intention over issues around sexuality, divorce, a lot of the kind of cultural issues of the last 30 years. More than 90 years ago al smith ran for president , first catholic on the ticket. Why was that significant, and who was al smith . So al smith was an immigrant kid from new york city, irish descent, irish and german, never got beyond the eighth grade. By 1920, he runs in 1928 against herbert hoover. Catholics are a percentage of the population, 20, 25 . They had faced considerable discrimination in the 19th century, even 1920s with ku klux k
Are signs of hope. Even in the most unexpected places. Even in this room full of proud manhattan democrats. I cant shake that the link that some people here are pulling for me. [applause] i am delighted to see you here tonight. I was thrilled to get this invitation. I feel right at home here because it is often said i share the politics of alfred e. Smith and the ears of alfred newman. It is an honor to be here with al smith. I never knew your great grandfather. Everything senator mccain told me, the two of them had a great time before prohibition. [laughter] i am not surprised by the final repeal of the 18th amendment. When this matter was submitted, they would readily see it had no place in our constitution. It would be very difficult if not impossible to explain to those who come to this country to make it their business to seek that no such matter as this is ever againthey found all yous go to brooklyn. This was the neighborhood where all smith grew up. He raised his children here.