Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

See the Conversations with History Blog See a webcast of this interview: Lehman

This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation on International Affairs. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is John F. Lehman, who is the Berkeley campus' 1991 Chester Nimitz Lecturer. Dr. Lehman is presently chairman of the J.F. Lehman Company. He was Secretary of Navy in the Reagan administration from 1981 to 1987, and he served under Henry Kissinger in the Nixon administration. Dr. Lehman has a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and he also received an advanced degree from Cambridge University. He is the author of several books, including Command of the Seas and The Executive, Congress and Foreign Policy.

1. Background ... education ... early mentors
2. Thoughts on Government ... critique of government ... problem of bureaucracy ... a battle against overpricing ... strong leadership
3. Working under Kissinger and Weinberger ... personal styles ... ability to delegate ... solution-oriented ... dealing with Defense bureaucracy ... Dick Cheney
4. Bringing Accountability to the Military System ... post - Cold War world ... need for decentralization ... need to control the purse
5. Advice for Students ... arts, humanities, sciences

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