John Frohnmayer to discuss ethics and truth in Zoom talk

John Frohnmayer will discuss "What is the Role of Ethics in a Post-Truth World?" in a May 5 talk on Zoom.

The talk will start at 4 p.m., and registration can be done online. The talk also will be available for later viewing on the Oregon Humanities Center YouTube website.

Frohnmayer, a retired lawyer who received his law degree from the UO in 1972, is a former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. He is the brother of the late Dave Frohnmayer, president of the University of Oregon from 1994 to 2009.

Frohnmayer was selected by President George H.W. Bush to chair the NEA in 1989. He took over during a turbulent time, when cultural conservatives were attacking the agency for funding work by such controversial artists as Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano.

During his tenure at the NEA he attempted to rebuild agency morale, support important artwork and respond to congressional critics who inserted a “decency clause” into the agency’s funding. Frohnmayer’s NEA position became untenable, and he resigned in April 1992.

Frohnmayer is also a competitive masters rower, singer and guitar player, and a frequent author of commentaries for print and radio. His most recent book is “Carrying the Clubs: What Golf Teaches Us About Ethics.”