Lorwin Lecture

Madge and Val Lorwin watch a tea ceremony being performed in their living room, circa 1981 (photo courtesy of George Sheridan)

Civil Rights, Civil Liberties

Made possible by the gift of Madge and Val Lorwin, the inaugural Lorwin Lectureship will focus on Women’s Rights in a Global World. But who were the Lorwins? A conversation with UO history professor George Sheridan.

Q: You taught in the same department as Val Lorwin. How well did you know Val and Madge Lorwin?

Val interviewed me. I am Val’s successor in his job. I went there in 1976. I moved into their place, I think it was 1978. And then I stayed there until I got married, which was in 1986. So I was there through all that time.

Anita Hill and Ellen Herman

Anita Hill: Reflections on the 2024 Lorwin Lecture

In 1991, Anita Hill started a national conversation on sexual harassment when she testified that Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had subjected her to unwanted sexual advances years earlier. Today, Hill is a leader in the fight against gender-based violence. A professor of social policy, law, and women’s studies at Brandeis University, Hill presented the 2023-24 Lorwin Lecture on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, held in partnership with the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics. The event was held May 9, 2024, as part of CSWS’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Hill was introduced by political science major Lierta Nako, president of the UO Undergraduate Law Association.
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