The Commons

TALK OF THE CLUB

IN MEMORIAM James C. Hormel

The country lost a pioneer and major philanthropist August 13, 2021, with the passing of James C. Hormel at the age of 88.

Hormel made history in 1999 when he became the first openly gay person to serve as a U.S. ambassador, assuming the role of ambassador to Luxembourg following a protracted political battle between the Clinton administration and opponents in Congress.

He was a longtime member of The Commonwealth Club’s Board of Governors and a strong supporter of the Club and its work. Chances are, if you have visited the Club’s waterfront headquarters, you have enjoyed the view from our second-floor Hormel Nguyen lounge, named after James Hormel and his husband, Michael Nguyen Hormel.

He was one of the founders of the LGBT rights organization the Human Rights Campaign, served on the boards of directors of the San Francisco Chamber of Com- “I will miss merce and the American Foundation for his kind heart AIDS Research, and supported numerous and generous local nonprofits. “I will miss his spirit.” kind heart and generous spirit,” said —DIANNE U.S. Senator Di- FEINSTEIN anne Feinstein. “It’s those qualities that made him such an inspirational figure and beloved part of our city.”

In 2016, The Commonwealth Club recognized James C. Hormel (left) for his lifetime of work for human rights; KQED President and CEO John Boland presented the award.

CELEBRATIONS Gala Honors Women in Science, Medicine

Join us November 19, 2021 at 6 p.m. for a virtual fundraising gala and celebrate the leadership of women in science and medicine. The annual gala is the Club’s biggest fundraising event of the year, so make a donation to The Commonwealth Club to support our critical mission to provide balanced, civil dialogue on society’s most challenging issues. This year’s special event will honor front-line physician heroes and a medical pioneer as recipients of our Distinguished Citizen award.

If the last 18 months has taught us anything, it is that real heroes don’t wear capes, they wear white lab coats. The tireless work of our scientists and front-line physicians has kept our community safe during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The Commonwealth Club is pleased to dedicate its Annual Gala and Distinguished Citizen Awards to eight outstanding members of the Bay Area medical and scientific community: Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., is the co-inventor of the CRISPR technology and a Nobel laureate, HHMI investigator, Li Ka Shing Chancellor’s Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences and professor in the departments of molecular and cell biology and chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley; Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Ph.D., M.D., M.A.S. at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF); Alicia Fernandez, M.D., UCSF; Monica Gandhi, M.D., M.P.H, UCSF; Diane Havlir, M.D. UCSF; Margot Kushel, M.D. UCSF; Carina Marquez, M.D. UCSF; and Kim Rhoads, M.D., M.S., M.P.H. UCSF and Umoja Health.

The work and contributions of these eight women has safeguarded the health of our citizenry and kept the Bay Area one of the safest regions of the United States. From scientific research to develop the vaccine, to social impact programs for guaranteeing health services to all, these doctors and scientists have gone beyond the call of duty. Join us as we honor their commitment, resilience, knowledge and strength. We thank them for what they have accomplished for the betterment of humankind. We call them Distinguished Citizens.

Learn more at commonwealthclub.org/ 2021gala.

ART WORLD Sculpture at the Club

For many years, the Club has featured local art at its headquarters. The work of painters, print makers, photographers, textile artists and more have graced our walls. But this fall we turned over the walls of our Farmer Gallery—plus the bookshelves of our lounge, prominent locations throughout the building, and even our rooftop Kaiser Permanente Terrace—to an exhibit of sculptures. ➔

Visitors to the Club are greeted by some of the works from Scuplture of the Pacific Rim.

Called Sculpture of the Pacific Rim, the exhibit is a collaborative project with the Pacific Rim Sculptors group, which has members in the Bay Area, all along the West Coast, and around the globe. Their work includes sculptures in bronze, mixed media, organic materials and more, and they range from statues to wall hangings to freestanding works.

The Club’s Leadership Circle and Supporter members got a behind-the-scenes preview of the exhibit at a special reception on Saturday, Oct. 2. The event featured four of the artists in person, who were engaged in a discussion of their work by Robert Melton, the co-chair of the Club’s Arts member-led forum.

You can see the works on your next visit to 110 The Embarcadero through 2022.

FANCY SCHMANCY Our Ears Are Burning

When George F. Will returned for a Club program recently, the moderator—The Bulwark editor Jonathan V. Last—couldn’t have been happier to talk with a hero of his. In a Bulwark podcast with his colleague Sarah Longwell the morning of the event, Last bragged about his moderating gig: JVL: “I am interviewing George Will today for The Commonwealth Club, and I am all a-titter about it.” LONGWELL: “Uh, The Commonwealth Club . . . ?” JVL: “Yeah, it’s like some fancy speaking society out in San Francisco. I don’t get to go out, because of COVID. Instead of being in San Francisco, sitting at a “I’m super dais across from the greatest columnist of excited about his generation, I’ll be sitting in this room, it; it’s a dream which is my office/ job.”bedroom, and I’ll be doing this over —JONATHAN Zoom. But I am super excited about it; V. LAST it’s a dream job.”

Maybe in the future we’ll be able to have Last and Will on stage together. But until then, you can watch or listen to the program at commonwealthclub.org/will2021 and see Last’s virtual Club debut. Now if we can just get Sarah Longwell on a program at our fancy speaking society . . .

Leadership of The Commonwealth Club

CLUB OFFICERS

Board Chair Evelyn Dilsaver Vice Chair Martha Ryan Secretary Dr. Jaleh Daie Treasurer John R. Farmer President & CEO Dr. Gloria C. Duffy

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Robert E. Adams Willie Adams John F. Allen Scott Anderson Dan Ashley Dr. Mary G. F.

Bitterman John L. Boland Charles M. Collins Kevin Collins Mary B. Cranston Susie Cranston Dr. Kerry P. Curtis Dorian Daley James Driscoll Joseph I. Epstein Jeffrey A. Farber Dr. Carol A. Fleming Leslie Saul Garvin Mary Huss Lata Krishnan John Leckrone Dr. Mary Marcy Lenny Mendonca Michelle Meow Anna W.M. Mok DJ Patil Donald J. Pierce Bruce Raabe Skip Rhodes Bill Ring George M. Scalise Charlotte Mailliard Shultz Todd Silvia George D. Smith Jr. David Spencer James Strother Hon. Tad Taube Marcel TenBerge Charles Travers Don Wen Dr. Colleen B.

Wilcox Brenda Wright Mark Zitter

PAST BOARD CHAIRS AND PRESIDENTS

* Past Chair ** Past President

Dr. Mary G. F.

Bitterman* J. Dennis

Bonney** Maryles Casto* Hon. Ming Chin** Mary B. Cranston* Joseph I.

Epstein** John Farmer* Rose Guilbault* Claude B.

Hutchison Jr.** Anna W.M. Mok* Richard Otter** Joseph Perrelli** Toni Rembe** Victor J.

Revenko** Skip Rhodes** Renée Rubin** Richard Rubin* Connie Shapiro** Nelson Weller** Judith Wilbur** Dennis Wu**

ADVISORY BOARD

Karin Helene

Bauer Hon. William

Bradley Dennise M. Carter Steven Falk Amy Gershoni Jacquelyn Hadley Heather Kitchen Amy McCombs Don J. McGrath Hon. William J.

Perry Hon. Barbara

Pivnicka Hon. Richard

Pivnicka Nancy Thompson

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