Stephen M. Kellen
Term Member Program

Events

In addition to taking part in a full range of CFR activities, term members enjoy exclusive events with high-profile speakers, including an annual Term Member Conference, roundtables, workshops, trips to financial and governmental institutions across the country, and a weeklong study trip abroad. The Twenty-Ninth Annual Term Member Conference featured Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy at the U.S. Department of State, Nathaniel Fick, as the keynote speaker. Concurrent breakout-sessions offered term members the opportunity for in-depth conversations on critical foreign policy issues, ranging from pandemic preparedness and U.S. immigration policy to America’s China Strategy, organized crime in Latin America, Iran’s role in the Middle East, disinformation in the social media era, and maritime security in the South China Sea. The conference also included sessions on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, opportunities for sustainable and technological development in Africa, the nexus of national security and emerging technology, and American voter perspectives ahead of the upcoming election.

In late 2024, a term member delegation spent ten days in Saudi Arabia for an on-the-ground look at the Kingdom’s political, economic, and social dynamics, aiming to better understand its internal changes and evolving role in the Middle East and beyond. Other recent trips included four days in Mexico City meeting with government officials, business leaders, journalists, and civil society members to discuss U.S.-Mexico relations; three days in San Francisco for briefings from companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence; three days in El Paso to meet with government agencies, non-profit organizations, and business leaders on the challenges at the U.S. Southern Border; and three days in Houston for discussions around climate and energy. Day trips have included tours of and briefings at the Port of Baltimore, Meta, the White House, Picatinny Arsenal, and the United Nations.

To Apply

CFR term membership is restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have formally applied to become citizens. Candidates for term membership must be between thirty and thirty-six years of age on January 1, nominated in writing by a current CFR member, and seconded by two to three other individuals. Detailed information about membership and eligibility requirements can be found on the Individual Membership page.

Candidates must submit an online application, which consists of three parts:

• contact information
• CV
• nominator and seconder information

Request an online application by clicking here.

Contact

For further information about applying for term membership, please contact Membership at [email protected] or 212.434.9456.

About Stephen M. Kellen

Stephen M. Kellen (1914–2004)

Stephen M. Kellen was a distinguished investment banker and a devoted philanthropist. He was an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations from 1982 until his death in 2004. 

Born in Berlin, Germany, in 1914, Kellen studied at a commercial institute and was employed in Berlin before relocating to England in 1936, where he joined Lazard Brothers Ltd. In 1937, Kellen again relocated to New York to begin work at Loeb, Rhoades & Company before joining the investment bank Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder, where he served as president from 1955 to 1994 and as cochairman until 2004. 

Kellen was part of the leadership of a number of charitable, educational, and cultural organizations. He was a supporter of the New School, a charter board member of the Interfaith Center of New York, a life trustee of Thirteen/WNET, a trustee of Carnegie Hall, and a supporter of the National Gallery of Art. He was also a tireless advocate for building cultural bridges between his adopted city of New York and the city of his birth, Berlin. In addition to serving as a director and patron of the American Council on Germany, in 1997 he made a founding gift to the American Academy in Berlin, establishing it as the center of transatlantic cultural and intellectual exchange. 

Kellen was deeply committed to developing the next generation of leaders in business and foreign affairs. Throughout his life, he made it a priority to cultivate meaningful relationships with young people, providing mentorship and guidance and investing in the future in substantive ways. He was instrumental in deepening the involvement of young men and women in conversations on international affairs and foreign policy at CFR. In recognition of his many intellectual, financial, and leadership contributions, the Council’s term member program was named in his honor.