Doris Kearns Goodwin Profile Photo

Doris Kearns Goodwin

WSB Exclusive Speaker

Presidential Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning Author

Doris Kearns Goodwin offers context for our turbulent times and shares how today's leaders can learn from the past.

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Doris Kearns Goodwin Profile Photo

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker, Pulitzer Prize–winning and #1 New York Times best-selling author, and a partner in Pastimes Productions.

Goodwin is often called upon by the news media, late-night TV hosts, and hundreds of companies, educational institutions, government agencies, and nonprofits to share her vast knowledge of leadership and provide historical context for current-day events, especially as our democracy is challenged, international wars rage, and we continue to struggle in a divided and polarized country.

Her eighth book, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, was published in Spring 2024 and became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Artfully weaving together biography, memoir, and history, this new book takes readers on the emotional journey Doris and her husband, Richard (Dick) Goodwin, embarked upon in the last years of his life as they delved into more than 300 boxes of letters, diaries, documents, and memorabilia that Dick had saved for more than fifty years. The Goodwins quickly realized they had before them an unparalleled personal time capsule of the 1960s — the events and pivotal figures of the decade: John Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, and especially Lyndon Johnson, who greatly impacted both their lives. Their voyage of remembrance brought unexpected discoveries, forgiveness, and the renewal of old dreams, reviving the hope that the youth of today will carry forward this unfinished love story with America.

In Fall 2024, Goodwin’s first book for young readers, The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President, was published. Especially tailored for educational use, Goodwin brings to this middle-grade book decades of rich research combined with deep knowledge of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. Adapted by Ruby Shamir from Goodwin’s seventh book, Leadership In Turbulent Times, the two books have in common that they provide an accessible and essential road map for aspiring and established leaders in every field, and for all of us in our everyday lives.

In 2020, Goodwin executive produced her first documentary miniseries, “Washington” for the History Channel, through her independent production company, Pastimes Productions Inc. Miniseries on Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt followed. Pastimes is currently executive producing an eight-part docuseries, “Kevin Costner’s The West” for the History Channel with a release date of May 2025.

Goodwin previously authored six critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling books, including the Carnegie Medal winner The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism and Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, in part the basis for Steven Spielberg’s film “Lincoln,” which earned 12 Academy Award® nominations, including an Academy Award for actor Daniel Day-Lewis for his portrayal of the 16th president. Team of Rivals is often cited as an inspiration for business and political leaders, including President Barack Obama, and was awarded the prestigious Lincoln Prize, the inaugural Book Prize for American History, and Goodwin in 2016 was the first historian to receive the Lincoln Leadership Prize from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.

Goodwin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in History for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. Her The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys was adapted into an award-winning ABC television miniseries.

Goodwin’s career as a presidential historian and author was inspired when as a 24-year-old graduate student at Harvard Doris Kearns was selected to join the White House Fellows, one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. At the White House celebration of the newly chosen Fellows, Kearns and the other two female Fellows found themselves sharing the dance floor with President Johnson. Johnson told Kearns that he wanted her to be assigned directly to him in the White House. But it was not to be that simple. For like many young people, she had been active in the anti-Vietnam War movement and had co-authored an article that called for the removal of LBJ from office and was published in the New Republic several days after the White House dance. Despite this, LBJ said: “Bring her down here for a year and if I can’t win her over no one can.” She worked with Johnson in the White House and later assisted him in the writing of his memoirs.

Goodwin then wrote her first book, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, which became a national bestseller and achieved critical acclaim. It was re-released in Spring 2019, highlighting LBJ’s accomplishments in domestic affairs.

Goodwin has served as a consultant and has been interviewed extensively for PBS and HISTORY’s documentaries on Presidents Johnson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, the Kennedy family, and on Ken Burns’ “The History of Baseball” and “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.” She served as a consultant on HBO Films’ “All the Way” starring Bryan Cranston as President Johnson. She played herself as a teacher to Lisa Simpson on “The Simpsons” and a historian on “American Horror Story.”

Goodwin has received numerous awards for her books and career, including the inaugural American History Book Prize from the New-York Historical Society, the Gold Medal for biography from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and most recently the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence from the Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York for An Unfinished Love Story.

Goodwin graduated magna cum laude from Colby College and was invited to deliver the commencement address there in 2024. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Government from Harvard University, where she taught Government, including a course on the American Presidency.

Goodwin was the first woman to enter the Boston Red Sox locker room and is a devoted fan of the World Series-winning team. She has three sons, four grandchildren and lives in Boston.

Featured Videos

Doris Kearns Goodwin Profile Photo
Doris Kearns Goodwin

Former Presidents’ Lessons for Addressing Political Division

Doris Kearns Goodwin Profile Photo
Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin on the Power of the Presidential Inaugural Address

Doris Kearns Goodwin Profile Photo
Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin on Applying Lessons from History to Modern Times

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Speech Topics

  • Leadership in Turbulent Times: Advice for Today from Our Best Presidents

    Not since the 1850s has our country been so politically divided. Not since the Great Depression have we experienced a collective hardship that cut through the entire population as COVID did. Not since World War II has democracy been in such peril. And not since the 1960s has the struggle for social and economic equality been at the forefront. To help us understand and navigate today’s challenges, “America’s historian-in-chief” Doris Kearns Goodwin transports us back in time, providing perspective, analysis and advice from our country’s best presidents who maneuvered the country during other difficult days —George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. With a deep and broad knowledge, grace and good humor, Goodwin puts our defining time in historical context and illustrates how as a country and as a people we’ve not only survived trying times before; in each instance, we emerged with greater strength. Through her masterful storytelling, audiences will gain fresh perspectives on timeless leadership qualities— humility, empathy, resilience, courage, vision, the ability to build a collaborative team, to communicate persuasively, and to pivot with changing times. History, as Goodwin demonstrates, provides lessons, solace, and even hope.

  • Leadership Lessons From The 1960s: A Front-Row Seat To History

    America’s “historian-in-chief” Doris Kearns Goodwin shares powerful insights from her latest #1 New York Times bestseller (“I can’t recommend it enough,” said Bill Gates), An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, providing a front-row seat to the corridors of power based on her own White House experiences and those of her husband, Richard Goodwin. Offering a captivating look at one of America’s most transformative decades and the leaders who shaped it, Goodwin reveals personal examples and keen analysis of iconic figures—John and Jackie Kennedy, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.—demonstrating how they inspired a generation, influenced and navigated change, and the invaluable insights they provide for today’s leaders. Drawing poignant parallels between the turbulent 1960s and our own complex time, Goodwin explains what enormous progress was made, as well as the opportunities that were lost, offering timeless lessons that illustrate how effective leaders can galvanize public sentiment and drive progress, overcoming even the greatest of challenges. 

  • Team of Rivals: Leadership Lessons from Abraham Lincoln

    Celebrating the 20th anniversary of her best-selling and award-winning Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin returns to Lincoln’s enduring story to provide audiences with essential and fresh leadership lessons for any profession and for all of us in our everyday lives. By deeply examining Lincoln’s life and deeds, Goodwin shows how this ordinary and extraordinary leader surprised both his colleagues and critics as he rose to political prominence and today is remembered as arguably our country’s best president for saving the Union, winning the war and ending slavery forever. But Lincoln, Goodwin posits, should also be heralded and emulated for who he was—a man of great character who displayed empathy, humor, passion, humility and kindness—providing a moral compass to guide us today and always. Goodwin infuses this deep and stimulating talk with stories of her involvement in Steven Spielberg’s hit film Lincoln, based in part on her book, that saw Daniel Day-Lewis so convincingly bring Abraham Lincoln to life for millions of moviegoers, and as an executive producer of the recent three-part History Channel miniseries Abraham Lincoln.

  • Leadership Lessons from World War II: 80 Years Later

    With September 2025 marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and as the memory of the conflict recedes, world-renowned presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin takes audiences back in time for a gripping journey through the heroics and horrors of the war that changed the world forever. With an uncanny gift for both depth and detail, Goodwin reveals the distinctive leadership styles of the leaders who carried us through this tumultuous time at home and abroad—Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower and Harry Truman. With her signature storytelling ability, Goodwin provides an intimate and unforgettable portrait of the historic meetings between Churchill and FDR, the challenging agreements made, the power of words, the staggering productivity of the greatest business/government partnership in American history, the sacrifices on the home front, the preparations for D-Day, the lives lost, and the decision to use the atomic bomb that finally brought the war to an end. Drawing from her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II (1995) and her decades of leadership study, Goodwin demonstrates that the cautionary and ultimately uplifting lessons from a war fought eight decades ago still resonate to this day.

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

We were especially pleased to have Doris with us for a special session this past June for our annual Global CEO retreat, at which time she dazzled our guests with her incredible command of history, helping to put the state of the nation and its leadership in context. She is a national treasure.

Business Conferences / Audiences

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin was a great success and received a standing ovation. Quite a few attendees told us she was the best speaker we’ve ever had. She was a joy on-site and was everything we hoped for.

Health Care

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris is a STAR – she captivated the minds and hearts of the family and the lecture’s packed audience. In addition to her exquisite intelligence, Doris is extremely generous of her time, irresistibly warm, engaging and witty.

Non-Profit

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris was remarkable and held our audience in the palm of her hand. We were all inspired by her profound knowledge of President Lincoln and our nation’s history. Our guests did not want the evening to end!

Non-Profit

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris’ speech was amazing and she was incredibly wonderful to work with. Hundreds of people have been coming up to me all day telling me that her lecture was the best they had ever heard! It was a HOME RUN WITH ALL THE BASES LOADED!

Open-ticketed

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin was a total and complete grand slam home run! She impressed and charmed everyone who was fortunate enough to meet or hear her. She was a delight to deal with–as were the folks at WSB! Thanks for all you did to make everything run so smoothly.

Open-ticketed

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin was a hit at our meeting. She is a master at making history come alive – the audience was captivated! She was also very gracious and accommodating to all she met, both before her presentation, during her presentation and afterwards at the book signing.

Government

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris is one of the most brilliant speakers we have had on our campus. Audience members shared their comments with us about what an extraordinary person and class act she is. The stories she shares about the presidents, combined with her encyclopedic knowledge of presidential history, are insightful, entertaining, and humorous. We were so pleased that Doris could join us for dinner and answer more questions from our guests before she left campus – she is a witty, warm and caring individual and a favorite of all who listened to her.

Universities & Colleges

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Five Stars!! The event with Doris was our BEST EVER. We had 642 in attendance and she was simply amazing. And she was sooooo personable to deal with. The audience was riveted to her every word, and she was both informative and entertaining. Her topic for us was “A History of Presidential Leadership in Turbulent Times.” She was deft in weaving in comparisons of our current president to past presidents – and never alienated our more conservative crowd. I received one note which said “Please bring her back next year!” She graciously met all at our VIP reception and the desert/coffee time afterwards.

Universities & Colleges

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Our event was a complete success! I want to extend a hearty thanks to you and everyone we came into contact with at WSB. Your team is dedicated, responsive and encouraging to us as the clients you made the logistics easy! Doris Kearns Goodwin was just as you described her, delightful, engaging, and complimentary to everyone and everything at our College. The emails to me are pouring in from students as well. I know that she had a great impact on all who heard her speak.

Universities & Colleges

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Everyone raved about Doris Kearns Goodwin’s speech. In fact, I heard from some people that it was the best talk they had ever heard.

Universities & Colleges

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin absolutely knocked people’s socks off. The audience loved her – and it was clear she loved the audience. I just hope I have a chance to book her again someday.

Education Programs

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Having Doris at the event was great and the attendees really enjoyed her talk. On top of that, she seemed like a really nice, genuine person! It was easy working with WSB so I really wouldn’t change anything.

Financial Services

What other organizations say about Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin is just incredible. Her patience and connection with the individuals during the book signing were inspiring. She could have talked all night and they would have been just as rapt. Can’t wait for her next book.

Health Care

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