Lectures are offered free of charge thanks to the generous support of corporate sponsorships and individual members.  Memberships start at $25.

The Springfield Public Forum Series

"Great Speakers, Great Discourse, Free to the Public"

The important topics of our day demand in-depth discussion and analysis.  The Springfield Public Forum provides exactly that:  opportunities to learn from and talk with world class experts and fellow residents of the greater Springfield, "live and in color", all free to the public.  Lectures by  foreign affairs analysts, political commentators, authors, historians, educators scientists, environmentalists, health experts and economists are described by audience members as "informed, inspired, stimulating": a gem in the region's cultural landscape. 

The Springfield Public Forum is one of the few surviving lecture series in the nation that is still offered at no charge to the public. Celebrating our 73rd year in 2008, series was born of a "need to know". In the midst of the Great Depression, the Forum provided an opportunity for Springfield, Massachusetts residents to better understand the political, social and economic issues confronting the nation and the world. By presenting knowledgeable speakers at no cost to the public, the Forum established a precedent for free speech and open debate that has endured in Springfield for 73 years.

Notable past Forum speakers include: Senator Hubert Humphrey, Richard M. Nixon, Hodding Carter, Leonard Bernstein, Betty Friedan, Ralph Nader, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, David Halberstam, Tom Wolfe, Louis Rukeyser, Bill Moyers, Maya Angelou, Ken Burns, Garry Trudeau, Taylor Branch and Paul Rusesabagina.

In 2007, the Springfield Public Forum iexpanded its educational outreach.  With the inauguration of the Public Forum Educational Partners program, Forum resources are now made available to area educators and students through curriculum guides, discussion groups, small question and answer sessions with speakers and student participation in Forum events and dinners.

Since its inception in 1935 as a three-year pilot project under the sponsorship of the American Association for Adult Education in New York City, the Springfield Public Forum has striven to be an important part of intellectual and community life.  In this era of new challenges and electronic communication, the opportunity for in person discourse with experts and fellow citizens on a variety of topics is even more crucial.  As changes in politics, journalism, medicine and the arts continue to influence our world, the Springfield Public Forum will uphold its mission to present, educate, and debate the issues of the times. 

To support our commitment to the community, join us in Membership. Click here...