Lecture Programs

Continuing a weeklong conversation dedicated to “Icons and Instigators: Women Who Change the World,” the Chautauqua Lecture Series is proud to welcome Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara, two legendary stars of stage and screen, for a conversation on their lives and careers. The joint appearance and discussion will serve as a preview of the pair’s performance with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra later that evening. Sutton…

Icons and instigators are often remembered for what they built, but just as important is how openly they share it. In this reflective and engaging talk, Wendy Steele draws from her book Invitation to Impact and her success building Impact100, a global, women-powered giving movement rooted in collaboration, transparency, and shared purpose. Wendy will share insights into the science of generosity, with an emphasis on how generosity can build…

Sylvia Earle is the president and chairman of Mission Blue, an explorer at large at the National Geographic Society, founder of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research Inc. (DOER), chair of the Advisory Council for the Harte Research Institute and former chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A legendary marine biologist and trailblazer for women in science, “Her Deepness” is considered the grande…

SPEAKER:Dennis WilderFormer senior American intelligence official and policymaker, Professor, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and Visiting Professor, George HW Bush School of Government and Public Policy, Texas A&M University. TOPIC:The Continental Army, under General Washington’s command, was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia. The…

Joanna Stern is an Emmy Award-winning technology journalist. She opens Chautauqua’s week of “Charting a New Media Landscape” with remarks inspired by her new book I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything and the launch of her own new media company. Drawing on a year of real-world experiments with AI tools — and the practical results — she will explore how generative AI is changing reporting,…

Naomi Schaefer Riley is an American conservative commentator and author. She is an American Enterprise Institute fellow. Writings have appeared in NYT, LA Times, the New York Post and Washington post. For the WSJ writing on religion, higher education, and philanthropy. Advocates For Balance at Chautauqua, Inc. is not affiliated with Chautauqua Institution.

Explore how and why femininity has been defined through clothing, including pivotal shifts in the early 1900s. Examine the history of the pocket and why its inclusion in women’s garments is a political act. Discover how fashion reform has served as a powerful form of resistance during key cultural moments, and consider the broader connection between fashion and sociology—how this art form both reflects and drives economic, political,…

Chuck Todd is one of America’s foremost experts on American politics. A seasoned political journalist and analyst known for his sharp insight, he is the host of “The ChuckToddCast,” a weekly podcast offering in-depth interviews with political figures, experts, and thought leaders. He is currently the head of politics and host of “Sunday Night with Chuck Todd” for the Noosphere app, where he aims to continue his…

Jason Riley is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the “Upward Mobility” opinion columnist for The Wall Street Journal, where he has written about politics, economics, education, immigration and social inequality for more than 25 years. He’s also a frequent public speaker and provides commentary for television and radio news outlets, and he joins the 2026 Chautauqua Lecture Series for the Week Two theme…