Award-winning author, constitutional scholar, and Duquesne University President Ken Gormley will speak at The Westport Library on Wednesday, April 26, at 7 pm on the subject of presidential scandals. The event will be moderated by noted attorney Steve Parrish.
Gormley, who has published bestselling books on Watergate, the scandals that engulfed the Clinton presidency, and constitutional crises facing U.S. presidents throughout history, will discuss these topics and connect them to current issues confronting Donald J. Trump during and after his presidency.
Gormley became Duquesne's 13th president in July 2016. Previously, he served on Duquesne's law faculty since 1994, after teaching at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and engaging in private practice. Gormley earned his BA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1977, summa cum laude, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his JD from Harvard Law School in 1980.
Gormley's work on a myriad of legal/historical topics has earned him a national reputation as a leading constitutional scholar. In 1997, he published Archibald Cox: Conscience of a Nation, the authorized biography of one of the leading lawyers and public servants of the 20th century. The Cox book was awarded the 1999 Bruce K. Gould Book Award for outstanding publication relating to the law. In 2010, he published The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr, a New York Times bestseller chronicling the scandals that nearly destroyed the Clinton Presidency. The Death of American Virtue received a 2011 Silver-Gavel Award (Honorable Mention) from the American Bar Association as well as international critical acclaim.
Gormley has testified in the United States Senate three times. He also served as president of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the first academic to hold that position in the organization's 137-year history. From 1998 to 2001, he served as mayor of Forest Hills, Pennsylvania. A lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, Gormley and his wife Laura have four children, Carolyn, Luke, Rebecca, and Madeleine.
Parrish is the founder of Steve Parrish Consulting Group, LLC specializing in crisis management, corporate social responsibility, public affairs, and communications for senior executives of corporations, law firms, and nonprofit organizations. Previously, Parrish was senior vice president of corporate affairs for Altria Group, Inc., and served as secretary of the public affairs and social responsibility committee of the board of directors of Altria Group, Inc.
Parrish is a member of the board of trustees of Carleton College, the board of directors of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, and the voard of directors of Orchestra Lumos (formerly the Stamford [CT] Symphony Orchestra). He is also board member emeritus and past board chair of Safe Horizon, an internationally recognized leader in the field of victim assistance. His past board service includes UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
