California

Merv Field: Taking the Pulse of California

Merv Field
2012

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes pollster Merv Field for a discussion of his remarkable career. Tracing his intellectual odyssey, he describes his education, early work with George Gallup, and his stint in the Merchant Marines. He recalls the early history of polling in the US including the founding and development of the Field Research Corporation and the Field poll. He analyzes the challenges of conducting reliable polls while maintaining ethical standards in the profession. Field reflects on the skills required in survey research and the challenges of adapting to new...

William K. Coblentz: What Made California Great

William K. Coblentz
2010

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes attorney and civic leader William K. Coblentz for a discussion of his distinguished career. Coblentz defines the liberal values that guide his legal practice and his civic leadership. He recalls his formative years, his legal representation of important rock 'n roll figures, his work with Governor Pat Brown, his service on the University of Calfornia Board of Regents, and his work in the philanthropic sector. He compares the leadership of Governors Pat Brown and Ronald Reagan and analyzes the rise and decline of California. He concludes with...

Karin Sveen: Peder Sather and the University of California

Karin Sveen
2015

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes author Karin Sveen for a discussion of her book, “The Immigrant and the University: Peder Sather and Gold Rush California.” After describing her intellectual journey as a writer and poet, the conversation turns to a discussion of philanthropist Peder Sather, a Norwegian immigrant, who was one of the founders of the University of California and whose philanthropy left an indelible mark on the University including the Campanile, Sather Gate, endowed chairs in history, literature, and classics, and the Sather Law Library.

Ronald M. George: The Judiciary

Ronald M. George
2011

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ronald M. George, former Chief Justice of California. Reflecting on his years of public service, Chief Justice George traces his intellectual journey and offers his thoughts on
the qualities of thinking and temperament that characterize judicial deliberation. He argues for both decisional independence and institutional independence if the judiciary is to perform its role in a democracy as a co-equal branch of government. Recalling his efforts as head of the California Judicial Council to reorganize the state court system, he identifies...

Frances Dinkelspiel: Stories from California’s Past

Frances Dinkelspiel
2015

Conversations host welcomes Berkeley’s 2016 HarvEst Distinguished Women Lecturer, Frances Dinkelspiel, for a discussion of her work as an author and journalist. Dinkelspiel reflects on the skills and temperament required in journalism and highlights the particular challenges posed by online journalism. She describes the history of Berkeleyside, the online news site she founded to cover the city of Berkeley. The conversation includes a discussion of her book on her great grandfather Isaias Hellman, an important banker in the founding of the California economy. Tangled Vines, her book on the...