Fall lecture series to challenge assumptions about America
(Aug 16, 2012) LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville’s McConnell Center will offer a series of public talks this fall designed to get people to reconsider big ideas and challenge basic assumptions about American life.
Our lecture series is free and open to the public.
The series, called reTHINK, will include five free, one-hour lectures in Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium. All of the talks will begin at 6 p.m.
Topics, speakers and dates are:
- “Rethinking the Gold Standard: Do the Benefits Exceed the Costs,” Brian Domitrovic, history department chair at Sam Houston State University, Aug. 27
- “Rethinking the 2012 Election: Is Obama Following the Harry Truman Model?,” author and historian David Pietrusza, Oct. 1 (book signing to follow)
- “Rethinking the Trail of Tears: Liberty, Constitutionalism and the Cherokee People,” Amy Sturgis, Native American studies scholar at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Oct. 25
- “Rethinking American Exceptionalism: What’s So Great About America?,” Richard Gamble, author and associate history professor at Hillsdale College, Nov. 5
- “Rethinking FDR, WWII and the Cold War: Herbert Hoover’s ‘Secret History’ Unveiled,” Hoover biographer and independent scholar George Nash, Nov. 27
“We hope to stir things up a bit and give people a fresh look at some of the key ideas and events that have shaped American history,” said Gary Gregg, McConnell Center director.
The non-partisan McConnell Center, created at UofL in 1991, prepares Kentucky’s top college undergraduate students to become future leaders and offers civic education programs for teachers, students and the general public.