Lee Lecture Series
The Lee Lecture Series features renowned historians, authors, and public officials on World War II and its aftermath.
On October 29, 2025, the Foundation presented the inaugural Lee Lecture Series featuring esteemed historian Andrew Preston. Preston traced the surprising origins of “national security” to the 1930s, when Franklin D. Roosevelt and his advisors redefined self-defense amid the rise of fascism. What had once meant guarding borders came to encompass distant threats and ideological rivals, making national security—like social security—a New Deal promise. This reframing transformed American political life, expanding federal authority and placing the nation on a permanent war footing. Preston’s analysis presents national security not as timeless, but as a contingent innovation that continues to shape U.S. policy and identity.
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About Andrew Preston
Andrew Preston is the W.L. Lyons Brown Jr. Jefferson Scholars Foundation Distinguished Professor in Diplomacy and Statecraft in the University of Virginia’s Corcoran Department of History. Specializing in American history since 1898, Preston’s expertise spans three key areas: America’s global actions, foreign policymaking in Washington, D.C., and the intersection of national and international spheres.
