Arthur Vandenberg: The Man in the Middle of the American Century

Free and open to the public. Dessert reception to follow.

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About the book:

The idea that a Senator—Republican or Democrat—would put the greater good of the country ahead of party seems nearly impossible to imagine in our current climate of gridlock and divisiveness. But this hasn’t always been the case. Arthur H. Vandenberg (1884–1951), Republican from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the model of a consensus builder, and the coalitions he spearheaded continue to form the foundation of American foreign and domestic policy today. Edward R. Murrow called him “the central pivot of the entire era,” yet, despite his significance, Vandenberg has never received the full public attention he is due—until now. With this authoritative biography, Hendrik Meijer reveals how Vandenberg built and nurtured the bipartisan consensus that created the American Century.

For more information, visit http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/A/bo25248451.html

About the author:

Hendrik Meijer worked as a reporter and editor before joining Meijer, Inc., where he is executive chairman. He is the author of a biography of his grandfather, Thrifty Years: The Life of Hendrik Meijer, and the executive producer of the documentary America’s Senator: The Unexpected Odyssey of Arthur Vandenberg.

This event is co-sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, and the Bentley Historical Library.

• Hank Meijer
• Arthur Vandenberg