Our Story

Newcomers to the Camden Conference often ask, “How did a foreign affairs conference of this caliber come to take place in a small town on the coast of Maine at the most unlikely time of year?”

The answer lies in the rich backgrounds and illustrious careers of many of Midcoast Maine’s year-round residents who choose to live in this beautiful place. In return, the professional experience they bring—business, governmental, academic, and often international—is a remarkable resource for the state.

The Camden Conference began in April of 1987 with a conversation among twelve distinguished individuals—Ellis Cohn, Lewis Conover, William Cross, John Foskett, Charles Fryer, Arthur Johnson, Julie (Levett) Canniff, Alexander MacKimm, Thomas Marx, Archie McRee, Harvey Picker, and Robert Tierney—who wanted to start a community activity devoted to the discussion of world affairs. Leading the group was Bob Tierney, a former pilot in the Strategic Air Command during the Cuban Missile Crisis, member of the Central Intelligence Agency in Asia, and officer in the US Mission to the United Nations. Also an avid sailor and hiker, Bob had retired to Camden with his wife Sally, and they opened The Maine Stay Inn (a Camden bed-and-breakfast) in 1983.

Bob and the Organizing Committee took the idea of a world affairs forum and ran with it. The first Camden Conference took place less than a year later, in 1988, at the Camden Public Library. The two-day program, attended by about 70 people, addressed “The Making of American Foreign Policy… Myth and Reality.” Thanks to the committee’s outstanding professional connections, the featured speakers included a national security advisor, a US senator, the Secretary of State, and a US Ambassador.

Because of the energy and experience of this founding group, the Camden Conference was launched with remarkably high standards in terms of timely subject matter; a roster of speakers with a breadth of experience and credentials; and an emphasis on lively audience participation.

The growth of the Conference in the decades since its inception is testament to the quality of the experience. Both speakers and attendees cite the idyllic, historic surroundings as part of the pleasure. Speakers appreciate sharing their insights with a cross-section of knowledgable, involved citizens. And the ever-expanding audience, including residents of Maine and visitors from other states and countries, relishes the opportunity to learn from, and engage in, a civil conversation about global issues that will affect their lives and the lives of future generations.

The Conference was first held in its current home, the Camden Opera House, in 1989. By 2006, even that venue, with a capacity of 500, was selling out immediately. Over the years, we have tried to keep up with demand: technological advances in streaming now allow us to expand to satellite venues in other Midcoast towns, as well as directly to people’s homes.

We’ve also established a Student Program, actively encouraging students and teachers to attend the flagship weekend and related events through partnerships with high schools and colleges, including a large contingent from the University of Maine at Orono, which offers a for-credit course each year on the Conference theme. In recent years, about 20 percent of the Opera House attendees are students, who add a forward-looking element to the proceedings and are often the most profoundly affected by Camden Conference programming.

The Conference also now includes year-round, thematically related activities to expand our impact and help people prepare for the flagship weekend. As many as seventy additional events—including lectures, films, cultural programming, and symposia—are offered, most free of charge. Libraries throughout the state host educational events and discussions and receive funding from the Conference to purchase books on our annual reading list. The Community Events are attended by thousands of people, including many who cannot make it to the annual Conference itself.

We are proud and delighted that a Conference that began with several dozen participants has evolved into one that reaches thousands–and via the free online dissemination of our world-class videos, now has the potential to reach millions more. We mean for our resources to become a truly global public good, and are excited for the Camden Conference’s next decades.