Kenneth Adelman ’67 on Reagan at Reykjavik
Adelman's book Reagan at Reykjavik: Forty-Eight Hours that Ended the Cold War is being made into an HBO movie, with actor Michael Douglas starring as President Ronald Reagan.
Adelman's talk at the College will draw primarily from the Reykjavik Summit and his first-hand experiences there, incorporating leadership lessons and diplomacy insights. The event begins at 11am at Alumni Recitation Hall (ARH) Room 302.
Adelman, a 1967 Grinnell College alumnus, was captain of the varsity swim team and active in the College's Program in Practical Political Education (PPPE), which is co-sponsoring the event with the Rosenfield Program.
He served in a variety of prominent positions in the federal government, starting in 1969 at the U.S. Department of Commerce. From 1975 to 1977, he was an assistant to U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld before joining the Reagan Administration in 1981.
In addition to his federal service, Adelman served as the translator to boxer Muhammed Ali during his trip to Zaire for the famed "Rumble in the Jungle" rematch with Joe Frazier. Adelman is a popular speaker on executive leadership, weaving in Shakespearean themes in his program Movers & Shakespeares.
Adelman's visit is sponsored by Grinnell's Program in Practical Political Education (PPPE) and Rosenfield Program in Public Affairs, International Relations, and Human Rights.