The George Washington’s Graduate School of Political Management recently unveiled an exhibit examining the careers and collaboration of former Democratic National Committee Chairman Charles Manatt, J.D. ’62, and former Republican National Committee Chairman Frank Fahrenkopf. The exhibit, titled “Making Democracy Work,” is on the ground floor of the Media and Public Affairs Building.
Though political rivals, Mr. Manatt, former chairman of George Washington’s Board of Trustees, and Mr. Fahrenkopf were pioneers in the field of democracy promotion around the world. The exhibit honors the two political competitors who found common ground in building the international democracy movement and enjoyed being in the political arena together.
“We hear a lot about the need for compromise and collaboration in 2012, with the complex issues ahead,” said GSPM Director Mark Kennedy. “There is great nostalgia for the comity between President Reagan and Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neill. This show illustrates the long-lasting impact of the cooperation between the DNC and RNC chairs during the same time period.”
Against the backdrop of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the Democratic and Republican Party chairs enriched political dialogue by making numerous joint appearances in Washington, D.C., and around the country. Mr. Manatt and Mr. Fahrenkopf’s most lasting collaboration was as founders of the National Endowment for Democracy and their respective party institutes--the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the International Republican Institute--which have assisted democratic transition across the globe. The artifacts, photos and documents gathered and displayed for the first time tell that story.
“This new exhibit captures the unique and productive partnership between Frank Fahrenkopf and my late father, Chuck Manatt,” said Michele Manatt, a U.S. foreign policy analyst and chair of the Council on Women’s Leadership at Meridian International Center. “We hope it serves as an example to leaders today -- two rivals with very different political philosophies made a major and lasting contribution to the democracy promotion landscape by carving out a common agenda. Today’s party leaders and the activists who elect them would greatly benefit from taking a page from that playbook, as we hear the drumbeat of marching toward the ‘fiscal cliff.’”
Mr. Manatt co-founded the national law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips in 1965. He was elected chairman of the DNC following Jimmy Carter’s defeat by Ronald Reagan. During his chairmanship, he modernized the fundraising and grassroots operations of the party and oversaw construction of its first permanent national headquarters. Mr. Manatt served as founding chairman of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and later as chairman of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
Mr. Manatt served on George Washington’s Board of Trustees for 28 years and was chairman of the board from 2001 to 2007. He also served as a member of GSPM’s Board of Advisors. Mr. Manatt served as U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 1999 to 2001.
Mr. Fahrenkopf was the longest serving RNC chairman in the 20th century. He played a key role in Ronald Reagan’s 1984 re-election, George H.W. Bush's 1988 election and in rebuilding the Republican Party. He continues to serve as the co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which sponsors debates between the presidential and vice presidential candidates held at universities around the U.S. In 1984, Mr. Fahrenkopf founded the International Republican Institute and continues to serve on its board. He is currently president and CEO of the American Gaming Association and serves on the board of GSPM.
“Chuck and I were tough competitors and measured success by denying the other team electoral victories nationally and district by district,” said Mr. Fahrenkopf. “But we had a deep respect for one another and were at our best when we joined forces to garner support for the National Endowment for Democracy, the two party institutes, the Center for International Private Enterprise and the Solidarity Center in the early 1980s. The power of our example, working together, was evident when we met with top leaders from the Soviet Union, Poland, South Africa or Argentina. The exhibit’s timing is spot on, with a deep yearning for how to get more results for the American people manifest in poll after poll.”