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Off the Record — A Unique Name for a Unique Organization 

In our digital age, where privacy has become an increasingly scarce commodity, Off the Record takes pride in staying true to its original mission: to provide a forum for its members to listen to and question leading experts about current and emerging global issues. Our outstanding speakers value the freedom to talk candidly and confidentially, certain that their views won’t be publicized. They are free, in this intimate environment, to test new subject material and to hear the informed reactions of our membership. 

For over 85 years, members have enjoyed privileged access to the individuals who shape or assess the nation’s foreign policy. They have included Ambassadors Rosemary DiCarlo, Michal Mlynár, Marie Yovanovitch and Karen Kornbluh, General David Petraeus, Journalists Steven Erlanger and Susan Glasser, Drs. Stephen Roach, Karen Elliott House, Karen Jacobsen, and Ruth Ben-Ghiat, and many others.  

Beginnings of Off the Record 

OTR’s membership has been equally distinguished; it has been a home for worldly thinkers. Its parent organization, the Foreign Policy Association, was founded more than a century ago by "the best, ablest, and brightest men in New York City.” Women had received  the right to vote around this time, and FPA’s female membership "took particular pride in being well-informed on international matters . . . . They even dared to ask questions.” 

In 1938, 19 women, including Eleanor Robson Belmont (wife of the financier August Belmont) and Frances Amelia Fincke (wife of the legendary jurist Learned Hand), decided to organize small lunches under the name Off the Record so that "women would have a better chance to ask questions . . . . Lectures were to be strictly 'off-the-record' so the statesmen and others in key posts could talk without fear of press reports.” In 1946, the nascent OTR had 40 members. When OTR relocated with FPA close to the United Nations, many whose enthusiasm helped to bring the U.S. into the United Nations joined OTR, and by 1954 the group had increased to 133 members. OTR celebrated its 6oth Anniversary in 1998 (60th Anniversary Brochure). 


Off the Record’s Membership Today

This growth continued. OTR today has over 300 members and is open to both men and women. It remains a lively non-partisan forum for the discussion of America’s role in a constantly changing, challenging world. Offering nearly 15 annual events, OTR presents a variety of perspectives from renowned foreign policy leaders and thinkers in government, politics, business, academia, journalism, and the arts. Recent topics have included The Middle East: What’s Next?; A Crisis at our Doorstep: Affordable Housing;  Predictably Uncertain: A Physicist's Perspective on AI Policy; and How and Why Do Bloodstained Parties Win Elections?
 
Our audiences interact with formidable speakers on a regular basis from September to May. The majority of lectures take place midday at the New York City Bar Association on West 44th Street.  In 1978, a donation from Laurance Rockefeller and Ethan Allen Hitchcock, in honor of his late wife, established the annual Elizabeth French Hitchcock (OTR chair 1970-1976) Memorial Lecture, co-sponsored with the Foreign Policy Association. It also takes place midday.
 
Apart of the Regular membership type, OTR has two additional membership tiers that offer added programming. Patron and Young Patron members also enjoy four evening lectures with a reception beforehand.
 
Finally, the drive to nurture a social community continues the founders’ tradition, including the conversations over lunch. Members are encouraged to bring their lunches to be enjoyed in the Reception Hall prior to lectures, either to catch up with friends or to join a communal table hosted by an OTR governor. 



Speakers Endorse Off The Record


"This was my first opportunity to speak to an Off the Record audience. I hope it won't be my last. In a world too often indifferent to the complexities of international affairs, here's an impressive group that seeks deeper understanding of the issues, and comes to a meeting with open minds and sophisticated questions. A memorable experience."
-
David Harris, advisor, the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy. CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) from 1999 to 2022.

"It was a great pleasure to give a talk at OTR. The audience was diverse, engaged and well informed, leading to a stimulating discussion during the Q and A.  I highly recommend OTR as a venue for public debate and exploration of current affairs."
- Dr. Karen Jacobsen, Henry J. Leir Professor in Global Migration, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.

"I love my engagements with OTR. The audience is intensely intellectually curious, and I always learn something new from their questions and comments." 

- Elizabeth Economy, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

"I am writing to thank you for hosting me again at Off the Record. This was the third time I have had the opportunity to address your members and have always found them to be well-informed, engaged, and eager to learn, making the conversation always interesting and enjoyable. I hope that people interested in foreign affairs will continue to join your ranks since an informed public is essential to the effective conduct of American foreign policy."
- Martin Indyk, Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs, and Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations.

"OTR has an extremely well-informed and dynamic audience."
- Yun Sun, Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the East Asia Program, Director of the China Program, Stimson Center. 


"OTR lives up to its reputation as a longstanding home for thoughtful, nuanced discussion of the day's most pressing foreign policy matters. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and strategic competition with China have thrust us into an uncertain era, making OTR's work all the more critical. The candor, discretion and expertise of its members and staff are a welcome asset in confronting these challenges."
- Former Ambassador Karen Kornbluh, Director, Digital Innovation and Democracy Initiative, German Marshall Fund and Former US Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2009- 2012


Past Chairs
Elinor Miner Lamont: 1946-1948

Mary Hand Darrell: 1948-1961
Mildred Adams Kenyon: 1961-1970
Elizabeth French Hitchcock: 1970-1976
Doris C. Halaby: 1976-1979
Mary L. Belknap: 1979-1983
Grace "Gay" Sloane Vance: 1983-1987
Donna Dillon Manning: 1987-1991
Judith L. Biggs: 1991-1995
Jacqueline M. Garrett: 1995-1997
Anne Sitrick: 1997-2003
Ann J. Charters: 2003-2008
Jacqueline Adams: 2008-2010
Wendy E. Dietze: 2010-2012
Rory Hayden: 2012-2014
Nadia S. Malik: 2014-2018
Bridget Foley 2018-2020
Kay Maxwell 2020-2024