Special Section: 50 Faces for America's Future

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remaining jobless. Notes Feldstein: "Government policy has not only failed to eliminate the problems that it was designed to solve, but has also frequently exacerbated those very problems."

19. Wallace C. Ford, 29, is executive vice president of Amistad Dot Venture Capital Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based investment company, backed by black private capital, that helps set up small businesses run by members of minorities. Although former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton is chief executive officer of the fledgling company, founded in March, Ford is responsible for much of the daily operations. A graduate of Dartmouth and Harvard Law School, Ford at 27 became the youngest president of the Harlem Lawyers' Association. Onetime speechwriter for Sutton, Congressman Charles Rangel and Richard Hatcher, mayor of Gary, Ind., Ford commutes between Washington and New York City, where he is head of NOVA (New Opportunities for Voter Action), aimed at harnessing political clout for blacks. Says Sutton: "Ford has poise, balance, intelligence and is 'relevant' ... He's a comer."

20. A. Bartlett Giamatti, 41. The Yale faculty cheered last spring when a humanist was chosen to lead the institution during its days of austerity. A man who loves the Red Sox and Renaissance literature, Giamatti is a true blue (class of '60 and teacher since '66). The youngest president of Yale in 200 years, Giamatti faces the challenge of reducing a $19 million deficit without sacrificing the quality of education. So far, he has begun a complete review of operating costs and instituted stiff cutbacks in the nonacademic staff. "I hope to see a Yale College with fewer students, a curriculum with fewer courses and more structured breadth, and a college seminar system that engages retired faculty so that their dignity and wisdom and expertise are not lost to us all," says Giamatti. Another main concern: the stifling Government interference that accompanies financial aid and research grants. Notes Giamatti: "Private institutions will be forced to become more adept at pressuring for their principles."

21. Marcia Ann Gillespie, 35, went for a job interview at Essence magazine in 1970 and ended up being hired as managing editor. She took the floundering publication for black women and gave it an audience, ad revenues and an editorial raison d'être. Serious service articles on health and careers replaced slick travel and fashion pieces. One of her big victories: persuading advertisers to use black models in ads for black consumers. "I wanted to show what black women really are: beautiful, courageous and incredibly vital people,' says Gillespie. Born in Rockville Centre, N.Y., and schooled at Lake Forest College, Gillespie, now editor in chief, is in demand as a speaker about the aspirations of black women, and Essence, with a circulation of 600,000 has set a high standard of editorial quality.

22. Gary Hart, 41, relishes the role of maverick. Says the Democratic Senator from Colorado: "It is difficult to put me in a category. I strike out on my own." In his first term, Hart is already an influential member of three key committees: armed forces, environment and budget. An independent on most issues, he strongly supports SALT II and favors tighter federal control over nuclear power plants. But he also favors less