Thoughtful persons recognize The Living Learn From The Dead. If we fail to learn from our past, we are doomed to repeat it.
As Cicero* observed in De Oratore 2: "History is the witness that testifies to the passage of time. History illuminates reality. History revitalizes memory. History provides guidance in daily life, and brings tidings of Antiquity".
*Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106 - 43 BC, Distinguished Roman Senator, Scholar, and Author.
Introduction
In 1946, a group of men in Edina wanted to develop better social and business networks to invigorate their environment and help build a thriving post-war society. Thoughtful service members returning from the Second World War, they wanted to establish an "affinity organization” to help returning GI's build friendships and share contact information.
They wanted to rebuild their business connections after the chilling effects of 4 years of War.
They also wanted to connect with public-spirited Doctors, Lawyers, Academicians, Businessmen, and other Professions. Their brain child was a weekly breakfast gathering, with guest speakers on a remarkably broad range of subjects. They found a winning combination in Fellowship, Food, Ideas, and Inspiration.
Ham&Eggs Club is now in its 77th year. Still based in Edina, it is the "oldest, largest, continuously operating Breakfast Club" in the State of Minnesota.
Membership
Ham&Eggs Club is composed of approximately 50 Active Members. Approximately 35 members meet weekly, with an additional 5 members joining us via Zoom. Members’ occupations range from Academicians, Attorneys, Accountants, Bankers, Investment Advisors, The United States Military, Medical Professionals, Small Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, and a select gathering of "Rascals" who keep the membership on its toes.
Ham&Eggs Members skew "older and wiser". Members tend to be "well educated, well read, well-traveled". Members are enthusiastic, engaged and know how to tell a good story. We are mostly male, but have female members, and all are welcome.
Weekly Meeting
Ham&Eggs meets Wednesday morning at 7:00 am at the Edina Country Club, conveniently located off Hennepin County Highway 100 at 50th Street and Wooddale Avenue in Edina. Members begin by mingling to build friendships and enjoy each other's company. A sumptuous breakfast buffet is served. It features fresh fruit, breakfast rolls, scrambled eggs, that "famous Edina Country Club bacon”, sausages, French Toast, pancakes, oatmeal and freshly squeezed orange juice.
After our President's energetic Welcome, Introduction of Guests, and New Business, we try to answer The Perennial Question: Why Are We Here?
A good answer would be because of the quality of our Guest Speakers. Our members have invited an extraordinary collection of outstanding speakers. Since the inception of the Club in 1946, nearly 4000 speakers have informed us, challenged us, entertained us, and inspired us to engage with each other in a positive and productive fashion. It was a very different world in 1946, and there have been amazing evolutions in life, culture, and ourselves since then. Clubs, organizations, and even governments either kept pace or failed. Our adaptability and a welcoming attitude may be another answer to the Perennial Question: "Why Are We Here?
A Glance At World History
A broad view of world history is striking for how distinctive, remarkable, and rapidly changing the eras have been.
The 1940’s Era was defined by the Second World War, The Holocaust, the Atomic Bomb and the beginning of the Cold War. Women were needed in the workforce to replace men who went to war, and the wartime production pulled the US out of the Great Depression.
The 1950’s Era brought the post World War 2 boom, the dawn of the Cold War, and the Civil Rights movement in the United States
The 1960’s Era was marked by the Viet Nam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and the emerging “generation gap.”
The 1970’s Era was a decade of soaring inflation, political upheaval, and the erosion of United States prestige worldwide. But the significance of the Seventies goes beyond high gas prices and Watergate. Profound changes to American Politics, societal norms and the nation’s economy took root.
The 1980’s Era brought the rise of conservative politics and Reaganomics as the Berlin Wall crumbled. New computer technologies emerged, AIDs ravaged the United States, and blockbuster movies and MTV reshaped pop culture.
The 1990’s Era saw the rise of Grunge music, and the explosion of Hip Hop. The 90’s was a time of creativity, innovation and cultural shifts. We saw dramatic advances in technology: the World Wide Web, the evolution of the Pentium microprocessor in accordance with Moore’s Law, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, the first gene therapy trial, and embyo cloning. All emerged and rapidly improved during the decade.
The 2000’s began on January 1, 2000 (Y2K). Notable is the legal recognition and protection of Civil Rights for women, minorities, immigrants, and those with religions from around the world. Also notable are the reactions against change, and the rise in Terrorism.
Ham&Eggs Club has evolved with all these changes. We welcome them. We are still providing excellent Fellowship, Food, Ideas, and Inspiration. We are making history now. We are still seeking answers to the Perennial Question: “Why Are We Here?”.
Survey of Past Speakers
Public Servants
Dave Durenberger, US Senator (Ret): "What Were The Founders Thinking?".
Congressman Tom Emmer: "News From The Capital".
Jim Hovland, Edina Mayor: ”Land Use in Edina".
Joe Mahon, Director: ”Federal Reserve”.
Mitch Perlstein, President: ”The American Experiment".
Rick Stanek, Hennepin County Sheriff: "Guns and Mental Illness Forecast".
The Honorable Tim Pawlenty, former Governor of MN.
Environment
Peter Kissinger, XCEL Energy: "The Future of Nuclear Power".
Will Steger, Polar Explorer,: ”Climate Change".
Community
Jamie Almanza, CEO of Bay Area Community Services: "How to Solve the Housing Crisis".
Chris Coleman, Mayor, St. Paul: "Habitat for Humanity".
Julie Nelson, KARE 11 Reporter: "News and Journalism".
Dave Nimmer, WCCO Reporter and Mary Pawlenty: "What If Family Fragmentation Continues?”
Roger O'Daniel, US Constitutional Scholar, Geo-Political Commentator, Cold War Expert
R. T. Rybak, President and CEO: “The Minneapolis Foundation”.
Arts and Culture
Janet Beihoffer: "American Culture DNA".
Tony Ross, Principal Cellist, Minnesota Orchestra.
Masha Zanialova, Curator, The Russian Museum Of Art
Sports
John Anderson, Head Baseball Coach, U of Mn.
Mark Coyle, Director of Athletics, U of Mn.
Mark Dienart, Athletics Director, University of St. Thomas.
Bud Grant, Minnesota Vikings Coach.
Chad Greenway, Minnesota Vikings: ”Football and Beyond".
Denny Schulstad: ”George Mikan, The Original Mr. Basketball".
Patrick Reusse, Twin Cities Sports Reporter.
Mike Veeck, Owner, Saint Paul Saints.
History
Dave Newhall: "Nat'l Cemetery".
Lee Radik: "Rock Light House Keeper".
Mark Stageberg: “The World’s Largest Sawmill”.
Carl Baer: "Robert E. Lee".
James Eli Shiffer: "The King of Skid Row".
Ray Wilson: "The Telling Project on PBS - My Life in Viet Nam".
Health
Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer at HCMC.
7500 York, Senior Housing Preparing for a Future Move.
Bre Moulder, Education & Outreach Manager, Planned Parenthood.
Transcendental Meditation.
NAMI Minnesota, Topic: "Gray Matters, Understanding Depression in Older Adults".
Education
Eric Kaler, President, U of M: “Why our Education System is Backwards”.
Julie Bunn: "Minnesota Council on Economic Education".
Lakeville Police Deputy: “Police in the School?”.
Mike McFaddeen: Charter School experience at Christo Rey and Tesfa International High Schools.
Law
Andrew Markquart, Attorney, Law School Teacher, Author, & Litigator: "The Great North Innocence Project".
Attorney James Dickey: "The Crime and Police Situation in Minneapolis and Our Case Against Police Defunding".
E. Sherayzen: "From Russia with Law".
Marshall Tanick, Lawyer: "2020 Election Results".
David Porter, Lawyer: "Will Contests and How to Avoid Them".
Mark Stageberg, Lawyer: "Medical Malpractice".
Mark Stageberg: "Experience as a Trial Lawyer".
David Lillehaug, MN Supreme Court Justice.
Lori S Gildea, MN Supreme Ct Chief Justice.
Paul Anderson, MN Supreme Court Justice.
Alan Page, MN Supreme Court Justice.
J. Ferris, MN Hwy. Patrol: "The Denny Hecker Case".
Chief Justice John Tunheim, Federal District Court: "A View From the Bench"./
Government
Dave Durenberger, Former US Senator,"US Constitution, "What were founders thinking?"
Marty Seifert, Former State Legislator.
R. Stanek, Hennepin Cty. Sheriff: "Guns & Mental Illness".
Tom Gillaspy, former MN State Demographer.
Joe Mahon: Director Regional Outreach Federal Reserve Forecast
Linea Palmisano: Minneapolis City Council, Ward 13: Police Reform / Rebuilding Minneapolis
Joe Mahon: Director Regional Outreach Federal Reserve Forecast
M Pearlstein, Pres., Center of The American Experiment
Commissioner Mike Rothman, MN Commerce.
Jim Hovland, Edina Mayor: "Land use in Edina".
Edina Police Lieutenant Brian Tholen: Current issues in Edina Policing, including pursuits, gradient of force application, and dealing with mental illness.
Brian Rycks, Chairman of MSP Metro Airports Commission: "Connecting You to Your World".
Congressman Tom Emmer: "News from the Capitol".
John Hoffman, MN State Senator and Minority Whip: "Governance in MN".
International Issues
Rudy Boschwitz: “Magnificent America”
Peter Vodenka: "Journey For Freedom" behind the Iron Curtain www.journeyforfreedom.com
Capt.J. Meszaros, Intel. Officer, Afghanistan.
David Paxon: "Overpopulation is Solvable",
John Radsan, President Nat'l Security Forum: IRAN.
Jarret Brachman: "Future of Global Terrorism".
Cliff VanLeuven, Transportation Safety Admin.
Ed Cunnington: “Cuba, what has changed?”
J Brachman: “Between Iraq & a Hard Place”
Military
Political Interference Damaging National Defense.
Mark Kortepetor, MD, MPH, Colonel, US Army (Retired): "Inside the Hot Zone".
Ray Witter, Retired Rear Admiral: "Competition and Conflict with China: How do we avoid war?"
Richard Wisland, President Ham & Eggs Club: "My Experience in Vietnam".
Rear Admiral Ray Witter: “Future of Naval Warfare”.
The US Marine Corps Birthday, Bob Lewis.
Dec 7, 1941: ”A Day That Will Live In Infamy”.
Searching lost WWII Aircraft in New Guinea.
Maj. Gen. R. Shadley: "Leadership in Crisis”.
Joel J. Phillippi: "Run Silent, Run Deep?"
Denny Schulstad: "Honoring our Veterans”.
Racial Equity
Rodolfo Guotierrez: HACER, an organization promoting equitable treatment of the Hispanic community
Politics
Tom Horner: “Where Partisan Politics Block Bipartisan Action”.
Kendall Qualls: Candidate: US House of Representatives
Justin Terrell: Executive Director: Minnesota Justice Research Center: Justice Reform
Steve Cramer: CEO of Downtown Council; Member of MAC: The Future of Minneapolis
Jeanne Massey: Executive Director: Fair Vote Minnesota: Merits of Ranked Choice Voting
Issac Orr: Energy Supply
Erik Paulsen, US Congressman.
Tom Horner, Ind. party gubernatorial candidate.
Amy Klobuchar, US Senator, Minnesota.
Kurt Zellers, Rep. gubernatorial candidate.
Todd Rapp, Political Analyst for MPR.
David Hann, Minnesota Minority Leader.
Tom Horner will discuss the political problems associated with the Senate filibuster
Julianne Ortman, MN Senator.
Tom Emmer, “US Congressman, MN 6th District.
Mike McFadden, Candidate for U. S. Senate.
David Schultz: "Understanding the 2016 Election".
Melisa Franzen, MN State Senator: "Update on MN Politics and the State Senate Session".
Terri Bonoff, Democratic candidate for US Congress.
Peter Wattson, former Head legal counsel to the MN Senate:"Voter Redistricting"
Rodolfo Gutierrez will discuss HACER
Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03)
Business
The Rise of Control Data: How It Inspired an Era of Innovation & Investment.
Thomas Fischer, Dean of MN College of Design: :The On-Demand City:.
Barry Krelitz: "Entrepreneurship With Honor".
Sean Lanterman, Director of Incident Response: "Cyber Crime,Ransomware, Attacks on US Infrastructure".
Senior Advisor from TESLA: TESLA Business Plan.
Donald Hall: "Generation of Wealth".
SCORE, Helping Small Businesses Succeed.
John Cherry, CEO, PolyMet Mining.
Unlocking Equity in Closely Held Business .
Bill Lentsch, VP President, MN Op Delta Air:
"God, Family, Country and the Corporation".
Herb Schechter: "Market Impact of the COVID 19 Stimulus and the 1.9 Trillion Dollars to Fund It".
Computer Age
Sean Lanterman, Director of Incident Response at Computer Forensics Service "Cyber Crime, Ransomware, & Attacks on U.S. Infrastructure"
Bryce Austin: Cyber Security, Expert on Cyber Hacking & Internet Neutrality
Thomas Fisher, former Dean of MN College of Design: "The On-Demand City".
Investing
Phil Dow, Director of Research at RBC.
Nancy Bender-Kelner, Atty: "Estate Planning".
Herb Schechter " Market Impact of the COVID-19 Stimulus and $1.9 Trillion to Fund it".
Medicine
Dr. Frederick Strobl: Inventor, Engineer, Neurologist.
Dr. John Najarian MD, Transplant Surgeon: "Solid Organ Transplantation".
Leslie Sharpe MD: "Keeping Your Immune System Healthy".
Jim Donadio, MD: "From Mayo to Vietnam".
Christopher Logue, MD: "Uses of the Hyperbaric Chamber".
Deepa McGriff: "Medical Cannabis in Minnesota".
Karina A. Forrest-Perkins: "Addiction and Mental Health Trends in Minnesota".
Jeffrey Remakel DDS: "Sleep Apnea and Snoring - How a Quiet Night's Sleep can Save Your Life".
Dr. Leslie Sharpe "Immunotherapy and Vaccines in COVID-19, Cancer, AIDS and Other Viral Diseases".Eric Everson, Colonel USMC: "From the Farm to the Necropsy Table".
Environment
Enbridge, MN. Pipeline Expansion
Will Steger, Polar Explorer: "Climate Change".
Peder Sandhei: "Urban and Rural MN Solutions for Solid Waste Landfills".
Peter Kissinger: XCEL Energy: "The Future of Nuclear Power and the Power Grid Susceptibility".
Alan Anderson, from Citizen's Climate Lobby: "Climate Change"; "A Carbon Fee and Dividend, Explained".
Anthropogenic Global Warming, R. Svendsen
Center of the American Experiment "The Future of Energy"
Xcel Energy: "The Future of Nuclear Power".
MPCA...Urban and Rural MN Solutions for Solid Waste Landfill".
Mark Seeley, MPR: "Evidence for Climate Change".
Arts and Culture
Masha Zanialova, Curator, Russian Museum of Art.
Janet Beihoffer, “American Culture DNA”.
Tony Ross, Principal Cellist, Minn Orchestra.
Nathan Soland, Dir Hennepin Theater Trust.
“Christmas and Folk Traditions in Norway”.
Hennepin Theater Trust Season Preview, and Vocal Artist Performance.
Sam Bergman, MSO Violist: "A Walk With a Renaissance Man of Music".
General Interest
David Nimmer, formerly with WCCO.
Soaring Society of America, Brian Utley, past President
Steve Sandberg: "Restoration of Trains".
Caleb Smith: CEO of Peacebunny Island
Honorable Mary Pawlenty: "America, What if Family Fragmentation Continues?"
Tony Palumbo, Anoka Co. Atty. “Elder Abuse”.
Cindy Brucato, former KSTP News Anchor.
Randy Young. Director, Union Gospel Mission.
Julie Nelson, KARE 11 Newswoman: "News and Journalism".
Sports
Chad Greenway, Minnesota Vikings linebacker, "Football and Beyond".
Tubby Smith, U of M Basketball Coach.
Patrick Reusse, Sports Personality.
Mike Veeck, Owner of Saint Paul Saints.
Bud Grant, former Minnesota Vikings coach.
Denny Schulstad: "George Mikan - The Original Mister Basketball".
John Anderson, Head Baseball Coach, Univ. of MN.
Andrea Mokros: "The Bold North - Minnesota Super Bowl LII".
Mark Coyle, Athletic Director, Univ. of MN.
Mark Dienart, Ph.D, former U of MN Athletic Director.