Hedrick Smith to discuss the crisis and decline of middle class America in Oct. 6 speech

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hedrick Smith will discuss his latest book, "Who Stole the American Dream?" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Pellegrene Auditorium, Saint John's University.

His presentation, which is free and open to the public, will address the crisis and decline of middle class America in our time.

Smith talked to a wide range of people in the best-selling book, telling the stories of Americans high and low. He spoke to politicians such as Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich; CEOs such as Al Dunlap (Scott Paper, Sunbeam and Coleman) and Bob Galvin (Motorola); and people who live in heartland America, such as airline mechanic Pat O'Neill and software systems manager Kristine Serrano, putting a human face on how middle-class America and the American Dream have been undermined in transferring the nation's wealth to the upper 1 percent.

" 'Who Stole the American Dream?' provides a readable and comprehensive account of how Americans have been robbed of our dream of a broad middle class over the past 40 years. It is essential reading," said Jay Lorsch of the Harvard Business School.

Smith's career has taken him to acclaim in both print and television journalism.

In 26 years at the New York Times newspaper, Smith covered the civil rights struggle in America, the Vietnam War in Saigon, the Middle East conflict from Cairo, the Cold War from both Washington, D.C., and Moscow, and six American presidents and their administrations.

In 1971, as chief diplomatic correspondent, he was a member of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team that produced the "Pentagon Papers" series. He earned his second Pulitzer Prize in 1974 for international reporting from Russia and Eastern Europe.

He has worked for PBS since 1989. Two of Smith's "Frontline" programs, "The Wall Street Fix" and "Can You Afford to Retire," won Emmy Awards. Two other of his programs were nominated for Emmies. Smith served as a principal panelist on "Washington Week in Review" and as a special correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."

Smith is also a best-selling author. His book "The Russians," based on his years as the Times' Moscow bureau chief from 1971-74, was a No. 1 American best-seller. His next book, "The Power Game: How Washington Works," was also a major best seller.

Smith's appearance is sponsored by the University Chair of Critical Thinking, the Eugene J. McCarthy Center of Public Policy and Civic Engagement and the Joseph P. Farry Chair in Public Policy.