Join the Lehman Center for American History and the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 5pm for a book talk and discussion with Matt Garcia about his new work, Eli and the Octopus: The CEO Who Tried to Reform One of the World’s Most Notorious Corporations.
The poignant rise and fall of an idealistic immigrant who, as CEO of a major conglomerate, tried to change the way America did business before he himself was swallowed up by corporate corruption.
Tuesday, Sept. 12, 5pm
Herbert H. Lehman Suite (IAB 406)
Register Here
Eli and the Octopus traces the rise and fall of an enigmatic business leader and his influence on the nascent project of corporate social responsibility. Born Menashe Elihu Blachowitz in Lublin, Poland, Black arrived in New York at the age of three and became a rabbi before entering the business world. Driven by the moral tenets of his faith, he charted a new course in industries known for poor treatment of workers, partnering with labor leaders like Cesar Chavez to improve conditions. But risky investments, economic recession, and a costly wave of natural disasters led Black away from the path of reform and toward corrupt backroom dealing.
Matt Garcia is Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of History, Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies, and Human Relations at Dartmouth College.
Upcoming Lehman Center for American History Events:
- Nov. 7, 5pm. Destin Jenkins discusses his new book The Bonds of Inequality: Debt and the Making of American Inequality (Online Event).
- Nov. 17, 4pm. Ned Blackhawk discusses The Rediscovery of America. Register Here.
- Dec. 5, 6pm. “Connecting the Dots: Authoritarianism Then and Now,” a Conversation with Michael Meeropol, son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
The Lehman Center for American History is a collaboration between the Rare Book & Manuscript Library and the Department of History, and is dedicated to supporting and enhancing the study and teaching of history at Columbia University.