Inaugural Paul A. Fideler Lecture

Robert D. Putnam presents “Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis”

Lesley University’s inaugural Paul A. Fideler Lecture will be held March 2, 2015

In his forthcoming book, Robert D. Putnam makes the case that a central tenet of the American dream is no longer true – that all children, regardless of their family background, should have a decent chance to improve their lot in life.

Putnam will discuss his book, “Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis,” and the nation’s growing “opportunity gap” during Lesley’s inaugural Paul A. Fideler Lecture on Monday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. in Washburn Auditorium, 10 Phillips Place, Cambridge.

Putnam is the Peter and Isabel Malkin Professor of Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School. He has written 14 books, received the 2012 National Humanities Medal, and was described by the London Sunday Times as “the most influential academic in the world today.”

Lesley University established the Fideler Lecture in History and Philosophy to honor the legacy of Professor Emeritus Paul Fideler, who retired in 2014 after 45 years of dedicated service to the university. Dr. Fideler elevated the liberal arts as part of the school’s educational mission by creating the undergraduate history major in 2004 and overseeing the significant expansion of Lesley’s global course offerings, among his many contributions.

“By his own rigorous example, Paul believed in the importance of challenging students in his classes, introducing them to current scholarship, and developing curricula that reflected the ideals of a liberal education and a changing world,” said Dr. Mary Coleman, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Paul’s research and teaching have enriched the university’s focus on social justice and contemporary policy options.”