Lunch with Larry Summers

One of the unique advantages of Washington, DC is that world class Harvard professors often pop down from Cambridge to deliver lectures to international think tanks or advise federal government on the latest policy. The HKS Alumni Council in DC works hard to negotiate time in those visiting professors' calendars to provide alumni with special insight into their latest ideas and thinking.

During the lunch hour on Thursday November 3rd - only five days before the most controversial election in a generation - over sixty five HKS alumni gathered to listen to Professor Lawrence H. Summers. Larry Summers is the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard University. He served as the 71st Secretary of the Treasury for President Clinton and Director of the National Economic Council for President Obama.

The event was kindly hosted by Peter Lichtenbaum (MPP ’90, HLS JD ’90), partner at Covington & Burling LLP at One City Center, NW. It was a fabulous room: intimate, modern and stylish. A light lunch was provided.

Peter opened the session with a warm welcome to Professor Summers, and then passed onto Jayme Johnson (MC/MPA, 2015) President of the HKS DC Council. Jayme introduced his fellow Brit, Sam Fleming, who is the Financial Times U.S. Economics Editor. Mr. Fleming masterfully peppered Professor Summers with questions, before opening to the floor for questions.

Topics discussed included inequality, employment, infrastructure, healthcare, technology, civic engagement, public trust in institutions, as well as a possible economic plan for the next administration.

Special thanks go to Covington & Burling LLP, especially HKS alum Lala Qadir (MPP, 2004), Molly Kinder (MPAID, 2008), Joey Wang (Exec Ed, 2005 & 2006), and friend of the Council, Cindy Ann Peterson.