In 1995, Ladue Chapel established the Lee Institute in response to a gift from E. Desmond Lee. The Institute, supported by an endowment from the Lee Foundation and by Ladue Chapel, seeks to provide stimulus and education for spiritual and religious growth for persons both in the congregation and in the community through:
- Public events featuring notable speakers whose lives and work have made important contributions to society and faith.
- Practical seminars which provide in-depth education to equip individuals for more effective service or leadership and to encourage them to pursue deeper levels of spiritual growth.
The Lee Institute Speaker Series is free & open to the public. We are a handicap accessible facility.
All events are held at Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church. Speaker series are free and open to the public. There may be a charge for Practical Seminars. Please contact the church office for more information on a particular event by phone (314-993-4771) or you may use our convenient online form.
Lee Institute Welcomes
Greg Epstein, Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University
Monday, October 25, 2010 - 7:30 p.m.
Ladue Chapel Sanctuary
"Good Without God - What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe"
Lee Institute continues to bring Talia Leman's message "The Power of ANYone" to St. Louis area youth. "The BIG Return in St. Louis" offers St. Louis area youth (up to age 21) an opportunity to make a difference in the community and the world! St. Louis area business leaders have contributed funding for area youth to initiate RandomKid service learning projects. With the help of CHARACTERplus, a division of Cooperating School Districts (www.characterplus.org), the Lee Institute will help publicize "The BIG Return in St. Louis" by making youth and youth leaders aware of this opportunity and highlighting local project success stories in C3 magazine (www.c3magazine.com) and other local media. Complete information on "The BIG Return in St. Louis" can be found on the RandomKid website: http://www.randomkid.org/bigreturn.asp
Past Presenters
The public lecture series has brought many wonderful speakers to Ladue Chapel. In the past, we have been honored to host the following:
Mrs. Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady & wife of President Jimmy Carter (2001)
Senator John C. Danforth, former United States Senator for Missouri (1998)
Morris Dees, civil rights lawyer, Southern Poverty Law Center (2000)
E.J. Dionne, Jr., columnist at The Washington Post & Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institute (2001)
The Faith Club: Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner. (2008)
Bruce Feiler, author of Walking the Bible (2007)
David Gergen, professor of public service at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of its Center for Public Leadership, and former White House advisor to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton (2005)
Rev. Peter J. Gomes, lecturer, Harvard University preacher & author (2002)
Peter Hessler, author and correspondent (2009)
A. E. Hotchner, screenwriter and playwright (1995)
Hamilton Jordan, former White House Chief of Staff to President Jimmy Carter, cancer survivor and, along with his wife Dorothy, co-founder of Camp Sunshine, a year round program for children with cancer (2003)
Senator Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator and wife of Howard Baker (1997)
Jonathan Kozol, author of Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation (1999)
Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist and author (2008)
Talia Leman, teen philanthropist, CEO & founder of www.RandomKid.org, UNICEF's 2005-06 National Youth Ambassador, and recipient of "Founder's Youth Award" for World of Children (2010)
Dr. Thomas G. Long, professor, Princeton University (1997)
Bill Moyers, former press secretary to President Johnson (1999)
Kathleen Norris, award-winning poet, writer and author (2007)
Dr. Elaine Pagels, Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University and author of Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (2004)
General Colin L. Powell (1998)
Dr. Peter Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden (2006)
Huston Smith, noted author and theologian (2005)
Dr. Jane E. Smith, Ph.D., consultant, educator and past President & CEO for the National Council of Negro Women (2002)
John Stossel, ABC News' Reporter and author (2004)
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra President, Fred Bronstein, and Music Director, David Robertson (2009)
Rabbi Susan Talve, leader of Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis (2003)
Lynne Twist, global activist, fundraiser, consultant and author (2009)
Ms. Minnijean Brown Trickey one of nine African American teens known as the Little Rock Nine, on the 50th anniversary of the integration of Little Rock High School (2007)
Dr. Cornel West, author and professor, Harvard University (1996)
Rev. Dr. William Willimon, Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University (2000)
Practical Seminar Presenters
Rev. Dr. Ivy Beckwith, Children's Ministry workshop leader (2007)
Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggeman, professor Columbia Seminary (1996)
Rev. Dr. John Claypool, author, Theologian in Residence at Trinity Episcopal in New Orleans and professor of homiletics at McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University in Atlanta (2003)
Episcopal-Presbyterian Charitable and Medical Trust (2004)
Dr. Laura Mendenhall, president of Columbia Theological Seminary, Presbyterian Church USA (2003)
Dr. Robert Raines, author of A Time to Live (2000)
Rev. Dr. Raymond Roberts, noted author and staff member at Union Theological Seminary, as well as pastor at Grace Church Jenkintown, PA (2003)
Sr. Joyce Rupp, writer, retreat guide, conference speaker and spiritual director (2002)
For more information about our facilities, please contact Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church by phone (314-993-4771) or use our convenient online form.
