Renaissance Weekend

• The Weekends
• Overview
• History
• Founders

History

Renaissance Weekends were conceived in 1981, when friends were lamenting that, despite meeting fascinating people in their work and everyday lives, they rarely had occasion to learn from each other in a personal and substantive way. To that end, 60 families pioneered Ambassador and Mrs. Lader's four-day New Year's "house party."

Over the decades, the New Year's gathering has retained the same spirit and has become a "reunion" of some 1,000+ past participants and remarkable newcomers. Smaller Weekends, around other holidays and vacation times, have much the same character as the original gathering.

Renaissance Weekend's 25th Anniversary — co-chaired by past participants Presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton — was celebrated at gatherings throughout 2006.

Scores of Nobel laureates, Pulitzer, MacArthur and Templeton Prize-winners, dozens of Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy-winners, Supreme Court Justices, Senators, Congressmen and Governors, many astronauts, 16 former candidates for U.S. President (Republicans and Democrats), and Wimbledon and Olympic champions, as well as professional athletes, have regularly been among the distinguished participants.

But everyone who comes to Renaissance Weekend has a noteworthy and often inspiring story to tell. For many, their most consequential achievements and contributions are ahead. For some, Renaissance's ideas and relationships play an important part in their professional and personal development.

The result has been a cross-generational "continuing conversation" of accomplished individuals with broadly divergent perspectives and no political agenda. Yet the Weekends' legacy of ideas and friendships has fostered significant projects, ventures and public service.