Philip Pro Lectureship in Legal History with Renowned Author Joyce Appleby

This year's Pro Lecture will be delivered by Joyce Appleby, professor emerita of UCLA, on "The United States in the History of Capitalism." A reception will immediately follow the presentation.

Having been settled by the pioneering capitalist nation, England, there was little doubt that the United States would develop a market economy, but the kind of capitalism to be formed was open. Detailing how capitalism is more a cultural than an economic system, she will explain how America's history, culture, laws, and geographic situation interacted to form a distinctive variant of a market economy. Much that happened during the "Great Recession of 2008" can be traced to this unique mix. Viewed historically, she will take capitalism out of the economists' domain of charts, graphs and algorithms and explore the realm where real market participants have made decisions.

In 2004, Pulitzer prize-winning historian Gordon Wood inaugurated the Philip Pro Lectureship in Legal History at the William S. Boyd School of Law. The series annually brings an internationally prominent scholar to UNLV to deliver a public lecture. The lectureship is named in honor of U.S. District Court Judge Philip Pro. Judge Pro’s public service, including his tireless efforts on behalf of the We the People program, reflect the civic virtue so essential for the perpetuation of our political institutions.