Stairway to Second

Those of you who have been to our headquarters on the waterfront know that the entire front face of the building is glass. This allows for incredible views of the bay and the Bay Bridge from the upper floors. And on the ground floor, of course, you get a full view of pedestrians on the sidewalk outside.

Not too long ago, I was sitting at the front desk, helping out with check-in for a program, when I noticed four people out on the street. They were acting like sightseers—you know, pointing at things in the distance, taking photos. Then they seemed to notice the Club’s building, and I assumed they had heard us on the radio in whatever city they lived in. Eventually, they came to the door to see if they could come in, and I let them in.

Why were they there? It turns out the daughter of one of the couples was an architect who worked on our building. In particular, the staircase from the first to second floors was designed by her. “That’s her staircase!” one of them said. The proud parents took pictures in front of the staircase and left.

someone who appeared on the Club stage many times as a speaker or moderator was the late George P. Shultz. He and his wife, Charlotte, were not only longtime and vocal supporters of the Club, they helped us many times during the multi-year effort to raise money, including hosting a meeting of donors at their home in the city, and they spoke at our groundbreaking ceremony and helped with advice during the long permitting process.

It’s not to much to say they were invaluable to us; they were supporters of the Club’s mission and willing to roll up their sleeves to get involved in keeping this cultural institution going.

Our cover story this issue focuses on George Shultz’s legacy, as told by biographer Philip Taubman. As you’ll see in the article that stretches across 11 pages, Taubman reveals previously unknown or little-known facts about Shultz’s life, including getting him to talk about some of the most painful moments of his career, from Watergate to Theranos. But those moments pale in comparison to his work to wind down the Cold War, reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons, and even confront bigotry.

Shultz was a legend, so I hope you’ll read the extended excerpt from the Taubman program and share my appreciation that there have been and still are people who dedicate themselves to making the world a better place, even when things seem uncertain.