Center kicks-off 25th anniversary with series on 'Citizens & Statesmen'

(Jan. 7, 2016) LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The American Council of Trustees and Alumni recently named the Center “an oasis of excellence in higher education.”
Center kicks-off 25th anniversary with series on 'Citizens & Statesmen'

The McConnell Center at the University of Louisville will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a free, public lecture series on “Citizens and Statesmen” this spring.

“It is necessary that we explore our rights and responsibilities as citizens and reflect on what we want from our political leaders, especially in the current political climate of distrust of politics and our political institutions,” said Gary Gregg, McConnell Center director.

Here are details on the lecture series:

  • “The Wisdom of Statesmen,” William B. Allen, former chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and former dean of Michigan State University’s James Madison College, 6-7 p.m., Jan. 19, Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium
  • “Abraham Lincoln: Moments of Statesmanship,” Joseph Fornieri, director of Rochester Institute of Technology’s Center for Statesmanship, Law and Liberty, 6-7:30 p.m., Feb. 12, Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium. Cake and a celebration of Lincoln’s 207th birthday to follow.
  • “The Kentucky Resolutions: Lessons in Statesmanship,” Kent Masterson Brown, award-winning documentary filmmaker and Kentucky historian, 6-7 p.m., March 7, Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium.
  • “1944: FDR, Statesmanship and the Year that Changed History,” Jay Winik, New York Times best-selling author of "1944: FDR and the Year that Changed History" and "April 1865: The Month that Saved America," 6-7:30 p.m., April 4, the PNC Club in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Book signing to follow.

The non-partisan McConnell Center, created at UofL in 1991, prepares Kentucky’s top undergraduate students to become future leaders; offers civic education programs for teachers, students and the public; and conducts strategic leadership development for the U.S. Army.

In the past 25 years, the Center has awarded more than $3.5 million in scholarship awards to more than 200 students. Its lectures, books, studies and conferences have garnered international attention, with the American Council of Trustees and Alumni recently naming the Center “an oasis of excellence in higher education.”