About the Mazzocco Lecture
William James Mazzocco graduated from University of Portland in 1937 with a degree in Economics, launching his 35-year professional career spanning a dozen federal agencies (including the White House) and four continents. After serving in WWII, Bill served for more than 8 years as a Senior Staff Officer on the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe. From there his professional work included aid posts in Brazil, West Africa, and Vietnam. His dedication as an international economist was inspired by his studies at UP, where he was introduced to Msgr. John A Ryan's seminal work Distributive Justice. The Mazzocco Lecture is meant to highlight the values that comprise the concept of distributive justice, which is centered on the equitable distribution of resources and a belief that government should strive to promote the common good.
About the Mazzocco Lecture
William James Mazzocco graduated from University of Portland in 1937 with a degree in Economics, launching his 35-year professional career spanning a dozen federal agencies (including the White House) and four continents. After serving in WWII, Bill served for more than 8 years as a Senior Staff Officer on the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe. From there his professional work included aid posts in Brazil, West Africa, and Vietnam. His dedication as an international economist was inspired by his studies at UP, where he was introduced to Msgr. John A Ryan's seminal work Distributive Justice. The Mazzocco Lecture is meant to highlight the values that comprise the concept of distributive justice, which is centered on the equitable distribution of resources and a belief that government should strive to promote the common good.
2024 Mazzocco Lecture on Distributive Justice with Former Congressman and UP alum Larry LaRocco
Date: March 12, 2024
Location: Brian Doyle Auditorium, Dundon Berchtold Hall
In this lecture, LaRocco discusses the challenges of representing constituents, adhering to the Constitution, and serving multiple masters while upholding ethical and moral norms. LaRocco looks at ways to put public service above blind obedience to ideology in a divided country. With a seemingly perpetually divided Congress, elected officials must attempt to rise above conspiracy theories, misinformation, multiple channels of money, and the ever-present role of influencers.