Former U.S. diplomat to present lecture series at Brown

Chas Freeman Jr. is a former U.S. assistant secretary of defense.
Chas Freeman Jr. is a former U.S. assistant secretary of defense. | Contributed photo

Chas Freeman Jr., a senior fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, will deliver the first of a three-part diplomacy lecture series at 4 p.m. today.

The lectures will focus on the role that the United States will play in the ever-changing international political and economic environment.

The first lecture titled "The Crumbling of the Pax Americana" will take place in the Salomon Center for Teaching. The second lecture "The United States in the New World Disorder" and third lecture "Recovering Diplomatic Agility" will be held at 4 p.m. in the Joukowsky Forum on Feb. 11 and Feb. 18, respectively. A reception will be held after each lecture.

Freeman is a former U.S. assistant secretary of defense, was the principal American interpreter during President Nixon's 1972 visit to Beijing, and served as an ambassador to Saudi Arabia during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He has also authored numerous books on statecraft and diplomacy.

The lectures, which are free and open to the public, are being sponsored by the Chong Wook Lee and Vartan Gregorian Distinguished Lecture Series.

Brown University will feature live webcasts of the lectures on its website.