David Cannadine talked about his biography, Mellon: An American Life, published by Knopf. Financial pioneer Andrew Mellon became a financier and industrialist in the 1930s. He served as Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932 in the cabinets of Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover and then served as ambassador to Great Britain from 1932 to 1933. The author examined Andrew Mellon's purchase of paintings from the Hermitage museum in Russia, documented his founding of the National Gallery of Art, and explored Mellon's involvement in a large tax scandal. After his presentation he responded to audience members' questions. David Cannadine is the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Professor of British History at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. He is also chairman of the trustees of Britain's National Portrait Gallery.