Godkin, Edwin Lawrence, 1831-1902, American editor, b. Moyne, Ireland, of English parentage. His idealism found expression in his History of Hungary and the Magyars (1853) and won him the job of correspondent (1853-55) to the London Daily News during the Crimean War. In 1856 he came to the United States and studied law. During the Civil War he traveled in the South, sending letters to the Daily News. In 1865, Godkin established the Nation on stockholders' money but shortly after was compelled to buy the paper to maintain it. In 1881 he became an editor of the New York Evening Post and in 1883 editor in chief, carrying the Nation, by then an influential critical weekly, with him as a weekly in connection with the Post. He was independent politically and attacked the carpetbag regime, corruption under President Grant, free silver, organized labor, and high tariffs. His self-assurance and integrity gave his opinion weight. He was an important spokesman of laissez-faire in economic policy. He wrote Problems of Modern Democracy (1896) and Unforeseen Tendencies of Democracy (1898).

The Edwin L. Godkin Lecture is an annual lecture hosted by Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

The lecture series was found in 1903 and named in honor of Edwin L. Godkin, the famous Irish-American journalist who founded The Nation.

References

"The Democratic Mistake: Godkin Lectures of 1909", Arthur George Sedgwick,

"Problems of Today", Moorfield Storey, Godkin Lectures of 1920,

"Theory and Practice in Politics", Robert Moses, Godkin Lectures of 1939

"Ethics in Government", Paul Douglas, Godkin Lectures of 1952

"Uses of the University", Clark Kerr, Godkin Lectures of 1963

"New Dimensions of Political Economy", Walter Heller, Godkin Lectures of 1966

"Family and Nation", Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Godkin Lectures of 1985