Paul Solman: In preparation for our NewsHour event with Ben Bernanke in Kansas City last night, we interviewed a variety of former Fed officials to discuss the past, present, and future of the central bank. Two especially intriguing interviewees…

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke looked to assure lawmakers and Wall Street that the central bank will be able to scale down its massive stimulus efforts and avoid inflationary concerns when the economic recovery is more certain.