'Beantown Centennials' A Discussion On Fenway, Zoo New England, And The Fairmont Copley Plaza

Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University presents Beantown Centennials with Saul Wisnia,John Linehan and Paul Tormey; discussion moderated by Peter Meade.

Director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Peter Meade, moderates Ford Hall Forum’s program celebrating Boston's three exciting centennials in 2012. Author of the full-color and thoroughly researched Fenway Park: The Centennial, Saul Wisnia shares original commentary by three generations of Boston Red Sox players and fans, plus little-known stories about our favorite stadium. President & CEO of Zoo New England, John Linehan, then reveals how radically Boston's zoos — and zoology itself — have changed in a century, while describing our furry friends who live there now. Finally, the Fairmont Copley Plaza's Regional Vice President and General Manager, Paul Tormey, showcases the history and trivia behind Boston's jewel of hospitality in the Back Bay. Join Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University for a conversation on Boston's three incredible attractions – a conversation that only comes once every hundred years.

Further background information on the participants and organizations they represent:

John Linehan has been the President and CEO of Zoo New England for a decade. He oversees the care of more than 1,000 animals at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and the Stone Zoo in Stoneham. Having earned his wildlife management degree at the University of Maine at Orono, Linehan secured an entry-level job cleaning pens atFranklin Park’s Bird’s World. Over thirty years later, he’s now performed virtually every role at both Massachusettszoos. His work is part of a worldwide collaborative effort to save endangered species. By garnering the support of the public and changing the way we look at wildlife.

Peter Meade was appointed Chief Economic Development Officer for the City of Boston by Mayor Thomas M. Menino in April 2011. He serves on the Mayor's cabinet, and as Chief Economic Development Officer, leads the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which for the past fifty years has been responsible for Boston's planning and economic development agenda. Meade launched his career in the 1970s, as a member of the administration of Mayor Kevin White, where he served the City of Boston in many roles. He later became the President and CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate dedicated to inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the public square. Meade was the Executive Vice President of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for over a decade and later took over as President and CEO of The New England Council.

Paul Tormey is General Manager and Regional Vice President at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. Tormey manages the operation of the historic Fairmont Copley Plaza and oversees operations for the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda, The Fairmont Washington, D.C., and the legendary Plaza Hotel inNew York. Tormey brings more than 25 years of hotel experience to this position from Sheraton Hotels & Resorts inConnecticut and New Orleans, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in New York and Bermuda, and Fairmont Chateau Whistler in British Columbia.

Saul Wisnia is a former sports and news correspondent at The Washington Post and feature writer at The Boston Herald who is now a senior publications editor at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He has authored, co-authored, or otherwise contributed to numerous books on Boston and general baseball history, and his articles and essays have appeared in Sports Illustrated, Red Sox Magazine, Boston Magazine, and The Boston Globe.

About Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University:

Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University is the nation's oldest free public lecture series. The Forum promotes freedom of speech and fosters an informed and effective citizenry through public presentation of lectures, debates, and discussions. Its events illuminate the key issues facing our society, by bringing to its podium knowledgeable and thought-provoking speakers from a broad range of perspectives. These individuals speak in person, for free, and in settings that encourage frank and open debate.

For more information on Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University, visit www.fordhallforum.org. Information about Suffolk University’s partnership with Ford Hall Forum can be obtained by contacting Mariellen Norris, (617) 573-8450,mnorris@suffolk.edu.

Admission is free and open to all. The event is at the C. Walsh Theater at  Suffolk University, 55 Temple Street, Boston, MA. It is wheelchair accessible and conveniently located near the Park St. MBTA Station.

For more information, contact Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University: 617-557-2007 or through their site, www.fordhallforum.org.

Event info and text provided by the organizers and Mary Curtin Productions.