Join us as UMass Amherst historian Christian Appy discusses Daniel Ellsberg’s remarkable transformation from Cold War hawk to antiwar whistleblower. 

This lecture will span the decades from 1971, when Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times and 18 other newspapers, to today. At age 91, Ellsberg is still a dedicated champion of peace, nuclear disarmament, and nonviolent democratic activism. 

Appy is currently working on an Ellsberg biography which began with the acquisition of Ellsberg’s papers by the Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center at UMass Amherst in 2019. This trove of more than 500 boxes of material has inspired university courses, the Ellsberg Archive Project, and the 2021 international conference marking the 50th anniversary of the Pentagon Papers’ release. Now the university has launched the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy under Appy’s leadership. The event is hosted by the UMass Amherst Libraries in partnership with the Department of History, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts and the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy.

Can't make the lecture? The UMass Amherst Library is hosting an exhibit “Daniel Ellsberg: A Life in Truth,” on display on the Lower Level of Du Bois Library showcasing select items from the Ellsberg collection.

All are welcome. No cost to participate.

View the full Homecoming schedule.

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