Rob Henderson, a political analyst and acclaimed author of “Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family and Social Class,” is set to present the keynote speech for this year’s Brauer Lecture Series, organized by Olin Business School.
This event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, in Graham Chapel at Washington University in St. Louis’ Danforth Campus and will feature a lecture lasting 45 minutes. All students, alumni, faculty, staff, and members of the greater St. Louis area are welcome to join this complimentary event. Registration is necessary to guarantee sufficient seating.
Henderson spent his childhood in foster care in Los Angeles and in the small rural community of Red Bluff, California. After joining the U.S. Air Force at 17, he later attended Yale University utilizing GI Bill benefits and then secured a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge, where he received his PhD in psychology in 2022.
In his inaugural book, Henderson introduced the notion of “luxury beliefs,” which he described as “concepts and viewpoints that bestow status on the upper class with minimal expense, while frequently imposing burdens on the lower classes.” Henderson argues that luxury beliefs — like “defund the police” — serve as virtue signaling among affluent groups that adversely affect more marginalized communities.
Currently, Henderson is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor for City Journal. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe, among various other publications. His Substack newsletter, in which he discusses human behavior, psychology, social class, luxury beliefs, and more, reaches over 60,000 subscribers each week.
Following the event, local food trucks will be present and accessible for free to the students who attended.
About the series
The Brauer Lecture Series is designed to investigate and promote discussion regarding the American free enterprise system.
This series fosters student development by inviting prominent scholars from around the nation, aligning with Olin Business School’s vision of delivering transformative business education, research, and impact.
Supported by Stephen and Camilla Brauer, the series showcases esteemed thought leaders and public figures discussing the beneficial effects that free-market economics and the American free enterprise system continue to exert on economic growth, public policy, and global affairs.
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