Ambassador James C. Hormel, '58, "Breaking the Pink Ceiling"

Scheming Washington insiders, Congressional power plays, and allegations of pedophilia were not enough to keep James C. Hormel, Class of 1958, from becoming America’s first openly gay ambassador. In his new memoir, Fit to Serve, Jim recounts a life of public service and private struggle, from his privileged childhood in the Minnesota meatpacking family to the long, personal journey and six-year fight that culminated in his appointment in 1999 as Ambassador to Luxembourg. This history might have been different were it not for University of Chicago protesters who shook Jim – then dean of students at the law school (1961-67) – from his conventional life and onto the path to social justice. Hear Jim Hormel’s insights into his ambassadorial quest and his perspective on what the rebellious Chicago students of the 1960s have in common with their peers today. This talk was recorded January 25, 2012.