Perspectives on the Arctic: Then and Now
NEW YORK, NY – The American Polar Society and the Elisha Kent Kane Historical Society will
host “Perspectives on the Arctic: Then and Now,” a program commemorating a century of
Arctic exploration and exploring the rapidly evolving geopolitics of the region.
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM, May 7, 2026,
71 W. 23rd Street, 6th floor, New York, NY
RSVP to reserve your space.
The event celebrates the centennial anniversary of the historic 1926 North Pole flights of
Richard Byrd and Roald Amundsen. Held in the iconic Kane-Peary-Byrd Room, a polar exhibition
showcase in midtown Manhattan, the program includes a presentation by author Sheldon Bart
(Race to the Top of the World: Richard Byrd and the First Flight to the North Pole), followed by
a panel of diplomats and policy experts discussing 21st century strategic challenges.
Panelists include retired diplomat Raymond V. Arnaudo; Arctic policy scholar Captain Lawson
W. Brigham, Ph.D.; former U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Julia Nesheiwat, Ph.D.; and former
Alaska Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell.
