Adams Presidential Center and Quincy 400 Present Adams Speaker Series:
National Security Symposium
The Adams Presidential Center in partnership with Quincy 400 recently hosted a compelling conversation on the evolution of national security—from the founding of the United States to the challenges we face today. Our distinguished speakers included General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., USMC (Ret.), Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, and business leader, Jonathan Hirtle.
Event Speakers
General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., USMC (ret.)
Chairman of the Board
United States Marine Corps
19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
36th Commandant of the Marine Corps
General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. served as the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer. In this role, he was the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council from 2015 to 2019.
General Dunford was commissioned in 1977 and served as an infantry officer at all levels, to include commanding the 5th Marine Regiment during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served as the 36th Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and Commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Raised in the Merrymount section of Quincy, Massachusetts, General Dunford attended St. Ann’s School in Wollaston and graduated from Boston College High School and Saint Michael’s College. He also earned master’s degrees in Government from Georgetown University and in International Relations from Tufts University.
In addition to serving as Chairman of the Board for the Adams Presidential Center and Foundation, General Dunford currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the Semper Fi Fund & America’s Fund which supports our wounded, ill, and injured active duty personnel and veterans from all services. He is a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bessemer Securities, the Atlantic Council, and the Travis Manion Foundation. He is the Co-Chairman of the Japan-U.S. Military Stateman Forum.
Congressman Stephen F. Lynch
Representative for Massachusetts’s 8th Congressional District
Congressman Stephen F. Lynch was first sworn in to the United States Congress in October 2001, following the passing of legendary Congressman John Joseph Moakley.
The son of Francis Lynch, an ironworker, and Anne Lynch, a postal clerk, Congressman Lynch was born and raised in the public housing projects of South Boston.
Upon graduation from South Boston High School in 1973, Congressman Lynch entered the Ironworkers Apprenticeship Program and later joined his father as a member of Boston’s Ironworkers Local 7. He worked as a structural ironworker for 18 years and was eventually elected president of the Iron Workers Union, the youngest president in the history of the 2000 member union.
Congressman Lynch continued his education at Wentworth Institute of Technology on nights and weekends, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management. He later received a law degree from Boston College Law School, was admitted to both the Massachusetts and New Hampshire Bar, and continued his advocacy for working people as a labor and employment attorney.
In 1994, Congressman Lynch was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. After just fourteen months in office, he was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in a special election. In the Senate, he served as Chair of the Joint Committee on Commerce and Labor. In 1999, he earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
During his career as an ironworker, Congressman Lynch worked at the General Motors Plant in Framingham, Massachusetts, the General Dynamics Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, and the U.S. Steel Plant in Gary, Indiana, all of which were either shut down or severely curtailed due to unfair foreign trade practices. Congressman Lynch’s first-hand experience in seeing the effects of plant closings on American workers and local communities led him to focus on efforts to improve U.S. Trade Policy and protect American jobs.
In the 119th Congress, Congressman Lynch is a member of the Financial Services Committee, where he serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Artificial Intelligence and is a member of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions.
On the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Congressman Lynch is a member of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency and the Subcommittee on the Military and Foreign Affairs.
Congressman Lynch is a co-founder of the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus, which was formed to protect workers’ rights and educate Members of Congress on issues that impact American families.
Jonathan Hirtle
Executive Chairman at Hirtle, Callaghan & Co.
In his role as Executive Chairman, Jon continues his intense focus on producing ever better net outcomes for clients. He serves as a full-time advisor to the Firm’s Management Committee and spends time with the families and nonprofits we serve. Jon appears regularly on national broadcast networks including CNBC, Fox Business and Bloomberg Television. He is highly sought after for his commentary on investing and was dubbed the “Oracle of Outsource” by Pensions & Investments as Hirtle Callaghan is best known for its role in pioneering the outsourced CIO (OCIO) model for families and institutions. Prior to founding Hirtle Callaghan, Jon worked at Goldman Sachs advising family groups and institutions on investment strategy and securities selection. Previously, he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. He earned his B.S. and M.B.A. degrees from The Pennsylvania State University. Jon serves on the Board of Directors of the Museum of the American Revolution and is active at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.
DR. KURT GRAHAM
PRESIDENT OF ADAMS PRESIDENTIAL CENTER - EVENT MODERATOR
Dr. Kurt Graham is the inaugural president of the Adams Presidential Center in Quincy, Massachusetts. Previously, he served as the director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri. As director, he oversaw a $30M renovation of the principal museum exhibits and dramatically expanded the Library’s educational and public programming. He has also directed the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, and the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City.