The Madman in the White House
Inside Sigmund Freud's lost psychobiography of American president Woodrow Wilson.
Date and time
Location
Frankopan Hall
West Court, Jesus College Jesus Lane Cambridge CB5 8BQ United KingdomRefund Policy
About this event
- 1 hour 15 minutes
When the fate of millions rests on the decisions of a mentally compromised leader, what can one person do?
Disillusioned by President Woodrow Wilson’s destructive and irrational handling of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, a US diplomat named William C. Bullitt asked this very question. With the help of his friend Sigmund Freud, Bullitt set out to write a psychological analysis of the president, interviewing members of Wilson’s inner circle, his doctor, his secretary, and his most intimate advisers. After two years of collaboration, Bullitt and Freud signed off on a manuscript in April 1932. But the book was not published until 1966, and even then it was heavily redacted.
For nearly a century, the mysterious original manuscript was considered lost or destroyed. Then in 2014, while browsing the archives of Yale University, historian Patrick Weil happened upon the original Bullitt and Freud manuscript. Join Weil at the IF as, based on his reading of the original manuscript, he offers a major reassessment of Wilson, of 20th-century American diplomacy, and of how the mental health of a controversial American president shaped world events.
About the speaker
Patrick Weil is a French historian, senior research fellow at the National Research Center in the University of Paris1, Pantheon-Sorbonne and a Visiting Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Professor Weil's work focuses on comparative immigration, citizenship, and church-state law and policy. He is also the founder and chairman of the NGO Libraries Without Borders (Bibliothèques Sans Frontières).
Be first to hear about future Intellectual Forum events: Join our mailing list.
Follow us on Twitter/X to keep up-to-date with the latest IF news.
Frequently asked questions
Each ticket grants entry for one person to the Frankopan Hall. Doors open at 19:00, event starts 19:30. In the event that we are over-subscribed on the night, we will admit ticket holders on a first-come, first-served basis, admitting non-ticket holders at 19:25.
The Zoom link will be visible on the confirmation screen and will be sent to the email address provided at registration. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85976344635 Webinar ID: 859 7634 4635 Passcode: not required
The entry to West Court is directly on Jesus Lane, postcode: CB5 8BQ. What3words: tree.heat.bravo. Please DO NOT ENTER through the main Jesus College entrance via the Porters’ Lodge, known as "the Chimney”.
There is no on-site car parking at Jesus College and only limited on-street parking outside the College on Jesus Lane. Blue Badge parking may be found on Jesus Lane opposite Primo, the bicycle shop at 5-7 Jesus Lane, CB5 8BA. ***Please note that Park Street car park is closed for redevelopment***
The closest bicycle parking is on the corner of Park Street and Jesus Lane (https://goo.gl/maps/XGQsbtTqWDaa4FoF6 - near the ADC Theatre) and the corner of King Street and Malcolm Street (https://goo.gl/maps/WPhjUPv8awHfCEk3A).
The closest Voi parks are on the corner of Park Street and Jesus Lane (near the ADC Theatre) and the corner of King Street and Malcolm Street - https://www.voi.com/ (Please note that this does not constitute an endorsement of Voi by an organisation involved with this event)
There are multiple Park and Ride options to the city centre, which drop you a short walk away from the College - https://cambridgeparkandride.info/
There are no storage or coat minding facilities and we cannot take any responsibility for items left unattended. However, the space is ventilated so layered clothing may be wise. Mobile phones are allowed but must be on silent. Flash photography is prohibited.
West Court is wheelchair access-friendly and there are hearing loops. Please let us know about any requests for adjustments as far in advance of the event as possible via if-events@jesus.cam.ac.uk
You can find information on how we manage your data at https://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/inline/files/IntellectualForum.pdf
We ask that you do not attend if you have any of the main COVID-19 symptoms, flu, or anything that could be transmitted by your attendance. If you have any concerns, please contact us via if-events@jesus.cam.ac.uk
Regular train services run to Cambridge from London’s Kings Cross Station, London Liverpool Street, London St Pancras, and many other UK stations. Jesus is located approximately 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) from the railway station. Buses run about every 10 minutes and there is a taxi rank.