The Politics of the Presidency in 21st Century America with Harvard Professor Tim McCarthy
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 11:30-2:30 Doubletree Hilton Inn, Hyannis MA
The American Presidency has been dramatically transformed during the first quarter of the 21st century. Drawing from the long history of Presidential politics in the United States, Professor McCarthy will discuss the significance of these transformations in light of key social, cultural, economic, and political changes that have shaped our contemporary world. As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. McCarthy's lecture will also take up the question: where do we go from here?
At HGSE, Professor McCarthy is core faculty in the Equity and Opportunity Foundations Curriculum, Online Master’s Program in Education Leadership and Higher Education Concentration; he also is faculty chair of The B.R.A.V.E. Institute. At the Kennedy School, where he teaches the only course on LGBTQ+ matters, he is faculty chair of the Global LGBTQ+ Human Rights Program at the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights and faculty affiliate at the Center for Public Leadership. He is also a core faculty member in Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative.
An historian of social movements, Tim McCarthy teaches courses on equity and education, communication and leadership, and the history and politics of creating change.
He graduated with honors in history and literature from Harvard College and earned his M.A, M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. He has published five books, most recently Reckoning with History: Unfinished Stories of American Freedom (Columbia UP). He is a frequent media commentator whose work has been featured in Salon, Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, Gay and Lesbian Review, The Nation, NPR, Al Jazeera and BBC. In 2025, he launched Breakdown with Tim & Anne, a YouTube podcast he co-hosts with actress and indie rock singer/songwriter Anne Scott.
In support of his teaching, research, and public advocacy, Tim McCarthy has been the recipient of grants and fellowships from the Mellon, Ford, Open Gate and David Bohnett Foundations, as well as the Massachusetts Historical Society, Mass Humanities, and National Endowment for the Humanities, among several others. At Harvard, he has received funding support from the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History, Center for Public Leadership and the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
He has received many awards for his commitment to students, including being named one of Harvard Crimson’s “Professors of the Year,” honored for 15 consecutive years by the Derek Bok Center for distinguished teaching in Harvard College, and selected one of ten faculty members across the university whose teaching was showcased in HGSE’s Instructional Moves Project (now a book). He also is the 2023 recipient and 2025 co-recipient of the Evelynn M. Hammonds Award for Exceptional Service to LBGTQ+ Inclusion at Harvard University.
He was a founding member of President Barack Obama’s National LGBT Leadership Council and gave expert testimony to the U.S. Pentagon Comprehensive Working Group on repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
He currently serves as board chair for Free the Slaves, a global NGO in the fight against modern slavery, and is a longtime advisory board member and creative collaborator with the Tony Award-winning American Repertory Theater.
A brief annual meeting will be held after the presentation by Professor McCarthy.
The cost for this presentation and lunch is $42 for Members and $52 for Not-yet-members.
Deadline for registration is noon, Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
This event will not be available virtually.
To download a registration form to mail in for the presentation, please click here. Otherwise:
Each meal includes:
- Mixed Greens Garden Salad with Dressing Choices
- Baskets of Freshly Baked Rolls and Butter
- Chef’s choice of vegetable and starch
- Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Scented Whipped Cream
Select your entrée when registering.