Organized Crime and Abortion (Works in Progress Seminar)
2025-04-23 13:15 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Howard Hall 316
Presenter: Katherine Parkin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of History and Anthropology; Jules Plangere, Jr., Endowed Chair in American Social History
Organized crime played a role in the experience of many securing, providing, and paying for abortions before they were legalized. The high rates for the procedure made illegal abortion in the 1960s the third largest moneymaker for organized crime. However, most studies by historians, criminologists, and sociologists have not considered how, where, and when organized criminals and their accomplices profited from abortion. This study of organized crime includes those providing abortions and lending money nationally, including relatives of Frank Sinatra and Drea de Matteo (“The Sopranos”) who provided illegal abortions in New York City.

Building a Global Medtech Leader (Leon Hess Business School H.R. Young Lecture, 2025)
2025-04-24 19:00 | The Great Hall Auditorium
Great Hall Auditorium
Meet Vincent Forlenza

Vincent Forlenza, chair of Lehigh Univeristy’s Board of Trustees, is a retired executive known for transforming Becton, Dickinson and Company from a medical supplies manufacturer into a global leader in medical devices, diagnostics, and life sciences.

A Lehigh University alumnus with a bachelor’s in chemical engineering and an MBA from The Wharton School, he has held key leadership roles in the U.S. and Europe. Forlenza serves as a director for MARAbio Systems, Inc. and MNHI, is lead director at Moody’s Corporation, and is chair emeritus on the Valley Health Systems Board of Trustees.

Register for the Lecture

Yacht Rock! (Part II)
2025-04-24 19:30 - 21:00 | Virtual
Class Schedule: Thursdays, April 24 & May 1 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

All aboard! By 1980, Yacht Rock artists ruled the charts with their mixture of jazz, R&B, and smooth production. Which artists picked up the torch from the 1970s artists, and how did sounds change? What led to the decline in popularity of the genre? How did Yacht Rock make a comeback that led to the 2024 HBO documentary, a Sirius XM channel, and much more? Plus, the class will endeavor to create the ultimate Yacht Rock playlist and answer the question: what qualifies as Yacht Rock? Explore the history of the genre through multimedia presentations and class discussion.

This two-session virtual course, taught by Kit O’Toole, explores the origins and rise of Yacht Rock, the smooth R&B and jazz-inspired genre.

Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.
