Talk of the Town

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - For an organization that was originally called the “no name group,” the list of Town Hall’s members and guest speakers sounds like a who’s who of historic personalities.

Among them are former presidents John F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman and Jimmy Carter; global leaders Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev; celebrities Annette Bening and Ed Sullivan; sports legends Tommy Lasorda and Earvin “Magic” Johnson; and local business and political players AEG President Tim Leiweke and City Controller Wendy Greuel.

They’ve all been part of Town Hall Los Angeles, a Downtown-based nonprofit, nonpartisan speakers forum that has convened events around major local and global issues and debates for 75 years.

The organization is marking all those years of hosting heads of state, corporate leaders and visionaries with its 75th Anniversary Gala at the Ritz-Carlton Sept. 7.

The celebration will include a dinner, an awards presentation and a performance by The Capitol Steps, a political satire group that pokes fun at politicians and government institutions.

The night will honor James Thomas, chairman, president and CEO of Thomas Properties Group for his role in the revitalization of the city. He is also a former chairman of Town Hall Los Angeles.

“Town Hall for me has played an important role in keeping L.A. informed,” said Greuel, a frequent attendee and former speaker at Town Hall. “It allows the public to have an independent connection with leaders to talk about issues we all face.”

Town Roots

Town Hall’s roots go back a year before the organization was incorporated in 1937, when a group of about a dozen business leaders formed the “no name group” in Downtown.

Their mission was to provide a forum driven by open discussions, public questions and perhaps most importantly, to maintain an impartial position on all topics in order to allow for more honest discussions.

“Their vision then, and it’s still reinforced now, is we advocate for nothing and no one other than knowledge,” said Town Hall President Dr. Jon Goodman. “We don’t lobby, we don’t take stands, we don’t endorse candidates, we just put the experts up there so you can get the facts.”

The organization holds more than 40 annual events mostly throughout Downtown that include free gatherings and moderately priced lunches. Every five years it holds a major fund-raising gala. This year’s gala ticket prices start at $500 for members. Since 1937 more than 5,600 speakers have appeared at Town Hall events.

Some Town Hall programs are also broadcast on public radio stations around the nation. Speakers are never paid. Some are invited by the organization. Others approach Town Hall themselves.

But the organization is selective.

“About 50% of our speakers, maybe a little more, contact us first. They want to speak at Town Hall. We probably accept 25%,” Goodman said. “We do not open our podium to people who are selling something. Selling something could be a book, could be a product, but it can also be a point of view.”

Evolving Focus

When it was first formed, Town Hall focused on international conflicts.

“If you think of the context [at the time], the war is looming in Europe,” Goodman said. “The entire world looks like it’s falling off a cliff and this was all in a world before routine air travel, before the Internet, before instantaneous information and people wanted to know what the hell was going on straight from the authorities, not intermediated by some other expert.”

The series has continuously evolved with the changing times.

In the 1950s many of the speakers focused on the post-war California economy. In the 60s, civil rights and the Cold War were major topics while the 70s saw the inclusion on the organization’s first female members: Judge Shirley Hufstedler, who later became the first US Secretary of Education, and celebrity attorney Gloria Allred.

Through the years, topics have ranged from Ed Sullivan’s 1954 discussion on “The Impact of Television on the American Home;” Robert F. Kennedy’s 1962 talk about “Crime Prevention: The Duty of Each Citizen;” Tom Brokaw’s 1985 talk about “Television and Terrorism,” to more recently a panel discussion in March that focused on the environment. It was called “Dry Winter? Where Will Our Water Come From?”

“I think it’s one of the greatest treasures of Los Angeles,” said Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry, another frequent Town Hall attendee. “It indicates the desire of people to embrace new ideas, engage in public discourse and debate.”

The Town Hall events also include a question and answer segment when anyone in the audience can ask the speaker a direct question.

Viktor Rzeteljski, chairman of the Town Hall board, said that aspect is one of the most important things about the organization, since it allows anyone to connect directly with important leaders.

“It gives that accessibility to just about anyone in the community to come in and listen to various leaders and ask questions and be engaged and have that interaction,” he said.

The organization also works to give that important access to the next generation of audiences and leaders through its American Heritage Student Program.

Created in 1987, the program brings 800 high school and college students every year to Town Hall events where they can participate in the program by asking questions along with the rest of the audience. At times, they also meet in private with a speaker.

The organization has also kept meticulous records of its history.

At the 16th floor Town Hall office at 515 S. Flower St. in the Financial District, a lobby bookshelf is adorned with books dating back to the 1930s, some worn with age. They contain the transcripts of all of the programs that have been presented through the years.

In the conference room are black and white portraits of those who have spoken at various Town Hall events. A Western Union telegram sent by John F. Kennedy on Dec. 5 1962 is mounted on a wood plaque. It congratulates Town Hall on its 25th anniversary.

“Your organization has long been recognized nationally as a hospitable forum for the discussion of public issues, and as an instrument of public enlightenment,” the telegram read.

“As you enter your second quarter century, it is my hope that Town Hall will redouble its efforts in identifying, discussing and helping resolve the vital issues facing California and the nation.”

For tickets to the gala go to townhall-la.org or (213) 312-9308.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

©Los Angeles Downtown News.