Davies Forum

The Davies Forum was established by Mrs. Louise M. Davies of San Francisco to enhance the University's efforts to produce future leaders dedicated to public service and committed to ethical leadership. The continuing theme of the Forum, "The Search for Values in Contemporary America," provides an opportunity for all participants to examine anew, and from different points of view, the turbulent state of American society in the last half of the 20th century and into the 21st century.

Each semester a different group of selected students called Davies Scholars participates in the interdisciplinary Davies Seminar under the direction of that semester's Davies Professor. Thus far the focus of these seminars has ranged from nuclear disarmament, leadership and the American presidency, and American values in international business, to lying and secrecy, ethics in sports, genetic engineering, gender and family, and the environment.

A public lecture or series of lectures is presented by eminent national and international leaders in government, religion, education, business, and philosophy who address the issue of Christian/Jesuit thought as applied to current social situations. The lecturers, known as Davies Fellows, also take part in faculty colloquia, classroom discussion, and University-wide presentations.. Recent Davies Fellows have included Archbishop John R. Quinn, Mr. McGeorge Bundy, Mr. Pierre Salinger, Dr. Sissela Bok, Ms. Betty Freidan, Dr. Douglas Hofstadter, Dr. Amitai Etzioni, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Mr. Ralph Nader, and Ms. Isabel Allende.

Information on the Davies Forum, its scholars, seminars, guest speakers, and upcoming calendar of events, is available in the administrative office.