Dinner With LBJ & the 1960s

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Doris Kearns Goodwin | LBJ

On November 16, 2024, a sold-out crowd enjoyed an evening of insights into two powerful men at Dinner with Oppenheimer & Truman, our annual History Dinner. The night included Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kai Bird in a fireside chat with guest moderator Dr. Kurt Graham, who was the director of the Truman Presidential Library & Museum from 2015 to 2024. The stunning Phoenician Resort highlighted historic images from the lives of J. Robert Oppenheimer and President Harry S. Truman.

In 2023, the film Oppenheimer sparked renewed interest in the life of the Manhattan Project architect. In his book American Prometheus, on which the Oscar-winning movie was based, Bird explores Oppenheimer's extraordinary life and work on the atomic bomb. During the fireside chat, guests learned of Oppenheimer’s unique upbringing, the personal challenges he faced, his complex relationship with President Truman, and his post-World War II years.

The Institute is pleased to share images of the evening and thank our many guests for their support of the Institute. We invite you to explore images from the evening in the gallery link below.

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A woman sits in an armchair on stage, smiling and holding a microphone. She wears a floral skirt, leather jacket, and sneakers. Behind her is a large framed portrait of a man in a suit—an atmosphere fit for Doris Kearns Goodwin.

A formal event with many attendees features two people, including Doris Kearns Goodwin, in discussion onstage. Behind them is a blue curtain and large portraits of two individuals on either side, with a larger central portrait of a man in a suit.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, PhD

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian and bestselling author. Goodwin’s interest in presidential leadership was inspired by her experience as a 24-year-old White House Fellow, working directly for President Lyndon Johnson in his last year in the White House, and later assisting him in the preparation of his memoirs. Over her distinguished career, Goodwin has written deeply researched and widely celebrated biographies of presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt, establishing her as one of America’s foremost chroniclers of leadership and power. Her work continues to shape public understanding of the presidency and the pivotal moments that define American history.

A woman and a man, including Doris Kearns Goodwin, sit on stage in armchairs, smiling and speaking into microphones. Behind them are two large portraits and a purple curtain, with flowers decorating the stage and people seated at a table in the background.

A man in a dark suit sits in a chair holding a microphone, speaking on stage before a large portrait of another man and a blue-purple curtain, reminiscent of events featuring historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Dr. Mark Updegrove

Mark K. Updegrove, a presidential historian, author, and journalist, currently serves as president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation in Austin, Texas, and as Presidential Historian for ABC News. From 2009 to 2017, he directed the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, where he led the historic 2014 Civil Rights Summit featuring four U.S. Presidents. He is also the host of the PBS series Live from the LBJ Library with Mark Updegrove, where he engages in conversations with leaders, historians, and public figures about American history and vital matters to our country. Updegrove is the author of six books on the presidency, including his most recent, Make Your Mark: Lessons in Character from Seven Presidents, as well as Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency. Over the course of his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with seven U.S. Presidents and written extensively for publications such as The New York Times, Politico, TIME, National Geographic, The Daily Beast, and USA Today. Known for his ability to bring history to life through both scholarship and storytelling, he has emerged as a leading voice on presidential leadership and its enduring impact on the nation.

Explore photos from the event in the gallery below