City Club of Cleveland - Speakers

Speakers

The club has hosted sitting Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the United States as well as notable citizens of the United States and the world. Archbishop Desmond Tutu referred to The City Club as "a beacon, a symbol and a sentinel for freedom, for justice, for tolerance" when he spoke there. In 1976 as part of the United States Bicentennial, the then President of The City Club led a contingent to England where The City Club's first forum outside the United States was held.

The first President to have appeared at The City Club was Theodore Roosevelt and every President since Jimmy Carter has appeared at its podium. President George W. Bush spoke to the club on the third anniversary of the United States' incursion into Iraq. Because The City Club of Cleveland has a policy of not allowing questions from the audience to be pre-screened, President Ronald Reagan declined to appear before the Club, but when questions were raised by the media about his mental acuity, President Reagan sought out an appearance before the Club to refute those charges.

A notable talk delivered at The City Club of Cleveland was the "Mindless Menace of Violence" speech delivered by Senator Robert F. Kennedy on the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

Debates before the Club have had an impact on Ohio elections. Prior to Senator John Glenn's victory over Howard Metzenbaum in the 1974 Democratic Senate primary, Glenn responded to a charge in an earlier debate that he never had to make a payroll:

"I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by antiaircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my checkbook; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine to five job where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank.

I ask you to go with me....as I went the other day to a Veterans hospital and look at those men with their mangled bodies in the eye and tell them they didn't hold a job. You go with me to the space program and go as I have gone to the widows and orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their dad didn't hold a job.

You go with me on Memorial Day, coming up, and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends than I'd like to remember and you watch those waving flags. You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell me that those people didn't have a job, I'll tell you, Howard Metzenbaum, you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men - SOME MEN - who held a job. And they required a dedication to purpose, a love of country and a dedication to duty that was more important than life itself. And their self sacrifice is what made this country possible..... I HAVE HELD A JOB, HOWARD! What about you?"

During the 2010 Congressional elections which saw the Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives, John Boehner on August 24, 2010 announced a five-point plan at the club that he said would provide an effective economic alternative to the Democrats’ course.

Sometimes politicians avoid appearing at its forums precisely because an appearance at its forums provides exposure to their opponents in a political race. Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who complained vociferously about being excluded from debates among the Democratic candidates for President has on a number of occasions, refused to debate his opponent for Congress in The City Club of Cleveland debates.

The club has been the subject of criticism for bestowing its "Citadel of Free Speech" award upon Justice Antonin Scalia. Members of the media, including CSPAN, decried the award because Justice Scalia refused to allow his speech to be broadcast. The Board of Trustees of The City Club defended its actions by noting that the press was welcome to attend the special presentation and report upon the event. A decision to prevent broadcast of the event did not limit on the press' ability to report upon the event. Other recipients of the Citadel of Free Speech award include Senator John Glenn, Martin Luther King's aide, U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, and the founder of CNN Ted Turner.

The City Club is a membership organization, but its programs are open to all.