Cultivating & Connecting Global Leaders
Stanford’s historic and ongoing influence in international and domestic affairs arises from a dynamic range of expertise, heavily clustered in this central part of campus. Since Herbert Hoover graduated as a member of Stanford’s Pioneer Class of 1895 and later became the 31st U.S. president, many other alumni have followed as political leaders — Cabinet members, U.S. senators, congressional representatives, U.S. ambassadors, state officials, and foreign presidents.
Dignitaries and thought leaders visit frequently, spurring insightful, strategic discussions on the world’s increasingly complex challenges. The halls of academia here are filled with scholars who have made policy or shaped policy. At Stanford, they help educate the next generation of global leaders and thinkers.
Frontline Research
Stanford scholars inform policy and address real-world problems. The research and educational hubs near here — Stanford Global Studies, the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) — embody the university’s approach to prepare students for global challenges and opportunities.
A Collective View
Herbert Hoover founded the Hoover Institution at Stanford in 1919 as a library and archives of World War I materials. The Institution was reestablished as the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace in 1959 as a research center dedicated to gener-ating policy ideas that promote economic prosperity, national security, and democratic governance.
Along with Hoover Tower, completed in 1941 on Stanford’s 50th anniversary, the Hoover Institution includes the Herbert Hoover Memorial Building, Traitel Building, and the George P. Shultz Building.
Photo: Stanford University Archives
A Welcoming Stage
Influential leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama, and several U.S. presidents, have drawn capacity crowds nearby at Memorial Auditorium — Stanford’s largest indoor assembly space. The building opened in 1937 and commemorates Stanford students and faculty who lost their lives in military service.