On January 16th, 2024, the University of Mary Washington will begin the 20th anniversary season of its lecture series, Great Lives: Biographical Approaches to History and Culture. These lectures are free and open to the public.
The first lecture on January 16th will chronicle the life of Wild Bill Donovan, hosted by Douglas Waller. The 2024 season will cover other giants of history such as William Shakespeare, Sam Shepard, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. There will be 18 lectures throughout the semester, ending on March 28th with a focus on Edgar Allen Poe.
Each lecture will begin at 7:30pm at Washington Hall on the UMW Campus. They will end with an audience Q&A, and will be recorded and uploaded to the Great Lives webpage. The University Bookstore will also sell selected titles based on the topic at each lecture. On certain nights, the authors will be available to sign the books following the lectures.
Great Lives at the University of Mary Washington is a wonderfully insightful way to expand your education of history, and a fascinating journey into the stories of these revered individuals.
The Great Lives Schedule is as follows:
| Date | Topic | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 16 | Wild Bill Donovan | Douglas Waller |
| Jan. 18 | Lewis & Clark/Sacagawea | Dale Blanshan |
| Jan. 23 | Shakespeare | Elizabeth Winkler |
| Jan. 25 | George VI and Elizabeth | Sally Bedell Smith |
| Jan. 30 | Sam Shepard | Jon Winters |
| Feb. 6 | George Washington | Alexis Coe |
| Feb. 8 | Mary Lumpkin: Enslaved Woman, Liberator | Kristen Green |
| Feb. 15 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Jonathan Darman |
| Feb. 20 | Picasso | Marjorie Och |
| Feb. 22 | Stan Lee: Spider-Man and Marvel Comics | Bob Batchelor |
| Feb. 27 | Martin Luther King Jr. | Jonathan Eig |
| Feb. 29 | Rosemary Kennedy | Kate Clifford Larson |
| Mar. 12 | Edith (Mrs. Woodrow) Wilson | Rebecca Roberts |
| Mar. 14 | Billie Jean King | Johnette Howard |
| Mar. 19 | Elizabeth Taylor | Kate A. Brower |
| Mar. 21 | George Remus: A Real-Life Gatsby | Abbott Kahler |
| Mar. 26 | Ten Caesars | Barry Straus |
| Mar. 28 | Edgar Allan Poe | Mark Dawidziak |
Follow Great Lives on Facebook.