City Club of Cleveland
Encyclopedia
The City Club of Cleveland was incorporated in 1912 as a non-partisan forum for debate. Known as "America's Citadel of Free Speech", it is the longest continuous independent free speech forum in the country and generally considered one of the top three speaking forums in America. Over the years it has played host to many sitting Presidents and Vice-Presidents as well as some of the most notable citizens of the United States and the world. Archbishop Desmond Tutu referred to The City Club as "a beacon, a symbol and a sentinel for freedom, for justice, for tolerance" when he graced its podium. In 1976 as part of the United States bicentennial, the then President of The City Club led a contingent to England where The City Club's first forum outside the United States was held.
The first President to have appeared at The City Club was Theodore Roosevelt and every President since Jimmy Carter has appeared at its podium. President George W. Bush spoke to the club on the third anniversary of the United States incursion into Iraq. Because The City Club of Cleveland has a policy of not allowing questions from the audience to be pre-screened, President Reagan declined to appear before the Club, but when questions were raised by the media about his mental acuity, President Reagan sought out an appearance before the Club to refute those charges.
Many believe that the most famous talk delivered at The City Club of Cleveland was the "Mindless Menace of Violence" speech delivered by Senator Robert F. Kennedy on the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.
Debates before the Club have had an impact on Ohio elections. Many attribute John Glenn's victory over Howard Metzenbaum in a 1974 Democratic Senate primary to the following response by John Glenn to a charge in an earlier debate that John Glenn never had to make a payroll:
"I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by antiaircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my checkbook; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine to five job where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank.
I ask you to go with me....as I went the other day to a Veterans hospital and look at those men with their mangled bodies in the eye and tell them they didn't hold a job. You go with me to the space program and go as I have gone to the widows and orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their dad didn't hold a job.
You go with me on Memorial Day, coming up, and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends than I'd like to remember and you watch those waving flags. You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell me that those people didn't have a job, I'll tell you, Howard Metzenbaum, you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men - SOME MEN - who held a job. And they required a dedication to purpose, a love of country and a dedication to duty that was more important than life itself. And their self sacrifice is what made this country possible..... I HAVE HELD A JOB, HOWARD! What about you?"
During the 2010 Congressional elections which saw the Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives, John Boehner on August 24, 2010 used the podium at The City Club of Cleveland to unveil a five-point plan that he said would provide an effective economic alternative to the Democrats’ course.
Sometimes politicians avoid appearing at its forums precisely because an appearance at its forums provides exposure to their opponents in a political race. Congressman Dennis Kucinich who complained vociferously about being excluded from debates among the Democratic candidates for President has on a number of occasions refused to debate his opponent for Congress in The City Club of Cleveland debates.
Although The City Club of Cleveland prides itself as The Citadel of Free Speech, it had been the subject of criticism for bestowing its Citadel of Free Speech award upon Justice Antonin Scalia. Members of the media, including CSPAN, decried the award because Justice Scalia refused to allow his speech to be broadcast. The Board of Trustees of The City Club defended its actions by noting that the press was welcome to attend the special presentation and report upon the event. A decision to prevent broadcast of the event did not limit on the press' ability to report upon the event. Other recipients of the Citadel of Free Speech award include Senator John Glenn and Martin Luther King's aide, U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young.
The City Club is a membership organization, but its programs are open to all. Information about upcoming events and reservations for upcoming events can be made at its web page www.cityclub.org.
to Alaska
. The broadcast is initiated live on WCPN
in Cleveland, Ohio
, with an encore broadcast Friday evening on sister station WCLV
. Most stations, including the Clear Channel
station group in Cleveland, airs the Friday forum as part of their Sunday morning public service requirements.
and many more.
The first President to have appeared at The City Club was Theodore Roosevelt and every President since Jimmy Carter has appeared at its podium. President George W. Bush spoke to the club on the third anniversary of the United States incursion into Iraq. Because The City Club of Cleveland has a policy of not allowing questions from the audience to be pre-screened, President Reagan declined to appear before the Club, but when questions were raised by the media about his mental acuity, President Reagan sought out an appearance before the Club to refute those charges.
Many believe that the most famous talk delivered at The City Club of Cleveland was the "Mindless Menace of Violence" speech delivered by Senator Robert F. Kennedy on the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.
Debates before the Club have had an impact on Ohio elections. Many attribute John Glenn's victory over Howard Metzenbaum in a 1974 Democratic Senate primary to the following response by John Glenn to a charge in an earlier debate that John Glenn never had to make a payroll:
"I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by antiaircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my checkbook; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine to five job where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank.
I ask you to go with me....as I went the other day to a Veterans hospital and look at those men with their mangled bodies in the eye and tell them they didn't hold a job. You go with me to the space program and go as I have gone to the widows and orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their dad didn't hold a job.
You go with me on Memorial Day, coming up, and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends than I'd like to remember and you watch those waving flags. You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell me that those people didn't have a job, I'll tell you, Howard Metzenbaum, you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men - SOME MEN - who held a job. And they required a dedication to purpose, a love of country and a dedication to duty that was more important than life itself. And their self sacrifice is what made this country possible..... I HAVE HELD A JOB, HOWARD! What about you?"
During the 2010 Congressional elections which saw the Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives, John Boehner on August 24, 2010 used the podium at The City Club of Cleveland to unveil a five-point plan that he said would provide an effective economic alternative to the Democrats’ course.
Sometimes politicians avoid appearing at its forums precisely because an appearance at its forums provides exposure to their opponents in a political race. Congressman Dennis Kucinich who complained vociferously about being excluded from debates among the Democratic candidates for President has on a number of occasions refused to debate his opponent for Congress in The City Club of Cleveland debates.
Although The City Club of Cleveland prides itself as The Citadel of Free Speech, it had been the subject of criticism for bestowing its Citadel of Free Speech award upon Justice Antonin Scalia. Members of the media, including CSPAN, decried the award because Justice Scalia refused to allow his speech to be broadcast. The Board of Trustees of The City Club defended its actions by noting that the press was welcome to attend the special presentation and report upon the event. A decision to prevent broadcast of the event did not limit on the press' ability to report upon the event. Other recipients of the Citadel of Free Speech award include Senator John Glenn and Martin Luther King's aide, U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young.
The City Club is a membership organization, but its programs are open to all. Information about upcoming events and reservations for upcoming events can be made at its web page www.cityclub.org.
Friday Forum
The City Club's Friday Forum is broadcast live on the radio in more than 40 states from MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. The broadcast is initiated live on WCPN
WCPN
WCPN — branded 90.3 WCPN — is a public radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, and serving the serving Greater Cleveland area....
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, with an encore broadcast Friday evening on sister station WCLV
WCLV
WCLV — branded WCLV 104.9 — is the classical radio station licensed to Lorain, Ohio serving Greater Cleveland and western parts of surrounding Northeast Ohio; WCLV is one of the few remaining classical music stations in the United States....
. Most stations, including the Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
station group in Cleveland, airs the Friday forum as part of their Sunday morning public service requirements.
Notable guests
- Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
- George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
- Robert Kennedy
- Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
- Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
- Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
- Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
- Geraldine FerraroGeraldine FerraroGeraldine Anne Ferraro was an American attorney, a Democratic Party politician, and a member of the United States House of Representatives. She was the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party....
- Richard Cheney
- Robert ReichRobert ReichRobert Bernard Reich is an American political economist, professor, author, and political commentator. He served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and was Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997....
- Jane FondaJane FondaJane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
- John BoehnerJohn BoehnerJohn Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
- Henry Louis Gates
- Margaret MeadMargaret MeadMargaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist, who was frequently a featured writer and speaker in the mass media throughout the 1960s and 1970s....
- Lester ThurowLester ThurowLester Carl Thurow is a former dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management and author of books on economic topics. Thurow was born in Livingston, Montana.-Education:...
- W. E. B. Du Bois
- Marian Wright EdelmanMarian Wright EdelmanMarian Wright Edelman is an American activist for the rights of children. She is president and founder of the Children's Defense Fund.-Early years:...
- Archbishop Desmond Tutu
- Madeleine AlbrightMadeleine AlbrightMadeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
- Sandra Day O'ConnorSandra Day O'ConnorSandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
- Janet RenoJanet RenoJanet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
- James Woolsey
- Ezekiel Emanuel
- Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
- William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
- Cesar ChavezCésar ChávezCésar Estrada Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers ....
- T. Boone Pickens
- Ross PerotRoss PerotHenry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
- Michael MilkenMichael MilkenMichael Robert Milken is an American business magnate, financier, and philanthropist noted for his role in the development of the market for high-yield bonds during the 1970s and 1980s, for his 1990 guilty plea to felony charges for violating US securities laws, and for his funding of medical...
- Pat RobertsonPat RobertsonMarion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
- Vernon Jordan
- Jim ThomeJim ThomeJames Howard "Jim" Thome is a Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the eighth player to hit 600 home runs in the major leagues. He is widely considered a future Hall of Famer.-Cleveland Indians :...
- Eugene Debs
- Rosa ParksRosa ParksRosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
- Rajmohan GandhiRajmohan GandhiRajmohan Gandhi is a biographer and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and a research professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.Gandhi's maternal grandfather was C...
- Ralph NaderRalph NaderRalph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
and many more.