"The Forum" in Zorn

President W. R. Davies was the prime mover in establishing The Forum lecture series in 1942, within the first year of his administration, to express his vision of what the college might become as a cultural center. He transformed Eau Claire's after-dinner speakers club into a college-community partnership that selected an average of five speakers a year. Each Forum speaker would lecture for an hour, answer questions for half an hour, and then attend an informal reception. The Forum maintains a tradition of being one of the longest continuous programs of its kind in the United States. The series has presented many of the leading personalities in the world since its creation. 

While traditionally held in the Schofield Auditorium, many lectures have been held in Zorn Arena to accommodate large audiences. 

 

Sir Tyrone Guthrie

Of What Use Is a Serious Theatre?, 1968-1969

Sir Tyrone Guthrie was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1962 for his decades of work in the entertainment industry, both in Europe and North America. Many of his plays premiered in England, where he  was the director at Old Vic in London. Later, he founded the Minnesota Theater Company in Minneapolis. Sir Guthrie believed that great works of theatre would survive for generations to come.

Gloria Steinem with Dorothy Pitman

Women's Liberation, 1970-71 

Gloria Steinem is best known for her activism during the women's movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Steinem discussed how women and African Americans were being oppressed by white male plutocracy. She argued that human equality could not be achieved until Americans addressed racism and sexism in their society. Women and men do not have to conform to gender roles, expectations, and stereotypes but instead liberate themselves from societal norms.

Simon Wiesenthal

Murderers Among Us, 1978-79

Simon Wiesenthal was a Nazi hunter during the twentieth century. He and his family were imprisoned in a Nazi German concentration camp in Poland. In the years after his liberation from the concentration camp in Mauthausen he searched for Nazi war criminals. In order to discover more information on the whereabouts of Nazi war criminals he established the Jewish Historical Documentation Center in Austria. He captured over one thousand perpetrators of the Holocaust.

Maya Angelou

Women's Role in Business, 1980-81; Black History Month, 1987-88

Maya Angelou was a singer, author, and a producer. She discussed how the feeling of worthlessness is one of the main causes of people not being able to achieve their full potential as human beings. This feeling of worthlessness and defeat were linked to racism and sexism within American society. She encouraged students to go after their goals but to remember that there will always be a price to see these dreams come true.

"You won't always get what you pay for, but you'll always pay for what you get."

 - Maya Angelou quoting her mother during the Forum Series lecture

Hank Aaron

The Courage to Succeed, 1981-82

Hank Aaron was a member of major league baseball for over two decades. During his career he played for the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, and the Milwaukee Brewers. He later became the vice president of player development for the Atlanta Braves. In his lecture he discussed how the "what's in it for me" attitude hinders personal and group success. He encouraged students to be the best they can be in every situation.

Coretta Scott King

Legacy of Martin Luther King: Ideals and Actions for a Nonviolent Revolution, 1983-84

Coretta Scott King was an author, civil rights leader, and the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. She was also the founder of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Changes, an organization that focused on educating the world about her husband's philosophy of nonviolence and his legacy.  This also connected to Coretta Scott King's lecture which relayed her political and social ideals.

Larry King

All in a Night's Work, 1985-96

Larry King was a radio host, television commentator, and columnist for US Today. While King had never been to Eau Claire before the forum series, the city was full of longtime fans. As a part of the Forum series, he did a live show at UWEC. When conducting interviews King did very little research beforehand, because he did not want to be ahead of the audience. He stated that one of the key skills to being on the radio waves is being able to communicate with your audience members and guests.

 

"The four things you want in a guest are passion - passion for life, a passion for what they do; two, an ability to explain what they do very well for the layman... Three is a sense of humor, and four is a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, a little bit of anger."

- Larry King being interviewed by Ralph Tausz from Spectators, 1986

Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Sexually Speaking, 1988-89

Dr. Ruth Westheimer was a psychosexual therapist that helped to incorporate the use of media within the field of psychology. Her discussion focused on sex, sexuality, and AIDS/STDs. Dr. Westheimer theorized that learning about AIDs and STDs will change how people date. She also emphasized how important it was to have a strong and well-meaning relationship with a partner.

Suzanne Somers

"Keeping Secrets," 1990-91

Suzanne Somers acted on the tv series Three's Company and later released an autobiography, about living her childhood with an alcoholic parent. She discussed how her childhood revolved around hiding her father's alcoholism from others. Somers described alcoholism as a disease that needs to be prevented from affecting future generations. 

Carl Sagan

Comets and the Origins and Evolution of Life, 1991-92

Carl Sagan was the creator of the tv series Cosmos  and the president of the Planetary Society, a space interest group. His research focused on determining if the organic molecules responsible for life were endogenous or exogenous. Pushing the research even further was the question: could comets be responsible for introducing these molecules to Earth?

Wilma Mankiller

Cherokee Roots and the American Dream, 1991-92

Wilma Mankiller was elected the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Mankiller helped to develop programs so the Cherokee Nation would be more self-sufficient, self-reliant, and autonomous. These projects included creating waterlines, nutrition programs, health clinics, and a vocational training center.

Jane Goodall

Chimpanzees of Gombe, 1994-95

Jane Goodall is recognized as one of the leading researchers in primatology. She made fundamental discoveries in primate studies, such as teaching chimpanzees to use sign language and animals using tools. For this reason her lecture focused on the struggles of wild animals.

Dave Pelzer

Real Heroes, 1999-2000

Dave Pelzer is the author of the world renowned book A Child Called "It". This lecture focused on child abuse and the workings of social services. He emphasized the importance of educators, social services, and law enforcement in shaping children's lives.

Paul Rusesabagina

Hotel Rwanda: A Lesson to be Learned, 2005-06

Paul Rusesabagina was the manager of a hotel in Rwanda in 1994. It was in this hotel that he sheltered over one thousand people during the Rwanda genocide. At the turn of the century he established the Hotel Rusesabagina Foundation in order to assist children and women who have been affected by genocide in Africa. He travels around the world in order to educate people about the consequences of genocide. Rusesabagina would later be played by actor Don Cheadle in the 2004 film "Hotel Rwanda."

Jodie Sweetin

Child Star Addresses "Full House," 2007-08

Jodie Sweetin is best known for her role as Stephanie on the hit tv series Full House. She discussed her life during and after the series. Growing up she questioned whether other children liked her for herself or because of her fame. The second part of the discussion was on the introduction of alcohol and drugs into her life. She shared how the turning point was when she was rushed to the hospital for an overdose, which led her to seek treatment in rehab.

Michael Uslan

From Fan to Filmmaker: The Journey to Bring Batman to the Silver Screen, 2010-11

Michael Uslan was the executive producer of the Batman movie series. His forum series was about his struggle over the course of his career to create a successful Batman movie in Hollywood. Uslan wanted to take the character Batman out of the comics and onto the big silver screen. He told students that they will have to try over and over again to achieve their goals after college and encouraged them to take risks.

Monica Lewinsky

The Price of Shame, 2022-23

Monica Lewinsky's discussion focused on how social media influences online bullying. In the second part of the discussion Lewinsky gave advice to people that have/are experiencing bullying. One of her main points to decrease bullying was to reach out to friends and family about what is happening. Lewinsky also urged companies and policymakers to take a more proactive stance against bullying.