Pictured: Doris Kearns Goodwin

By Lorraine Shanley

March 26, 2025: Esteemed presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin spoke to an enthusiastic, capacity crowd at the annual Brendan Gill Lecture on Friday, March 21st at Sarah Lawrence College. Goodwin’s talk, titled “Leadership in Turbulent Times: Advice for Today from America’s Top Presidents,” was a gift to the community from the Bronxville Historical Conservancy (BHC) and was presented free to all guests.

Newly elected BHC Co-Chair Suzanne Pratt Davis welcomed the audience and noted that this was the 25th presentation of the popular annual event and that it was named after former Bronxville resident, author and preservationist, Brendan Gill. Davis turned the podium over to Marilynn Hill, chair of BHC’s Gill Committee, who introduced the speaker, highlighting Goodwin’s long career of accomplishments in history and biography, including the publication of eight highly acclaimed books on American presidents and influential historical figures.

Goodwin focused her lecture on how four presidents (Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson) handled adversity. “Somehow, America emerged from that with greater strengths — that’s why it’s so important to study history,” she said. Goodwin started with Lincoln, a man who she said combined the virtues of humility and confidence, and she described his efforts to keep the country united and democracy alive. From there she moved on to Teddy Roosevelt, who, despite his privileged upbringing, came to understand the “everyman” through extensive travel around the United States.

FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt were afforded equal time, as appropriate given Goodwin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II.” Goodwin recounted a charming story about all the people who ended up living in the White House with the Roosevelts during the war, and how she had a chance to visit those bedrooms when Bill Clinton was president.

LBJ’s accomplishments rounded out Goodwin’s discussion of presidents who were particularly challenged with turbulent times during their tenure in the Oval Office. She noted that historians have come to appreciate how significant his civil rights legislation was, even though for many years he was excoriated for his failures in Vietnam. She said one historians’ poll put LBJ in ninth place among successful U.S. presidents, and she added that he would be delighted to learn that he was one spot ahead of JFK in those rankings.

Goodwin also spoke about her husband, Dick Goodwin, who penned LBJ’s famous speech to Congress, which was a plea for the voting rights of Black Americans. Written following Martin Luther King, Jr.’s march on Selma and the violence perpetrated against the participants, the speech began: “I speak tonight for the dignity of man and destiny of democracy.” Doris Kearns Goodwin’s recent book on her life with Dick, “An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of 1960s,” is being made into a feature film.

“In the end, I shall always be grateful for this curious love of history, allowing me to believe that the private people we have loved and lost in our families and the public figures we have respected in history can live on so long as we pledge to tell and retell the stories of their lives,” Goodwin said as she concluded her talk.

See photos below.  Photos by Kalil Salkey

Doris Kearns Goodwin

2025 Brendan Gill Lecture (Reisinger Auditorium, Sarah Lawrence College)

(l to r) Suzanne Pratt Davis, BHC Co-Chair, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Marilynn Hill, Gill Committee Chair, Mike Heraty, BHC Co-Chair

Jim Palmer, Bronxville Village Administrator, John Hill, Mike Heraty, Mary Westmoreland, Bronxville Women's Club President, Gene Westmoreland

Bob Shearer, Linda Shearer, Linda Jones, Jane Bierwirth

Cristle Collins Judd, Sarah Lawrence College President, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Marilynn Hill

Audience member, Peter Hicks, Doris Kearns Goodwin

 Doris Kearns Goodwin, Julia Murphy

Audience members and speaker at post-lecture reception

 Erin Saluti, Cece Heraty, Suzanne Pratt Davis