The Great Lives Series: Biographical Approaches to History and Culture concluded its 22nd season on April 3, 2025. Thank you to our speakers and attendees for making it a success! The series will return in January 2026 with a new lineup of engaging programs.
Lectures are held at 7:30 p.m. on most Tuesdays and Thursdays in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the UMW Bookstore selling featured books in the auditorium foyer. Each session typically includes a Q&A and book signing.
For updates and details, visit the FAQ section or use the “Contact Us” link on the website or follow us on Instagram and Facebook @greatlivesumw.
| Date | Lecture | Speaker | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Lecture | Speaker | Media |
| Jan. 21 | Women of the CIA | Liza Mundy | |
| Jan. 23 | Pete Rose | Keith O’Brien | Video |
| Jan. 28 | Rod Serling | Anne Serling | Video |
| Jan. 30 | Barbara Walters | Susan Page | Video |
| Feb. 4 | John Glenn and Ted Williams | Adam Lazarus | Video |
| Feb. 6 | Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull | Mark Lee Gardner | Video |
| Feb. 18 | Captain James Cook | Hampton Sides | Video |
| Feb. 20 | James A. Garfield | C.W. Goodyear | Video |
| Feb. 27 | Phillis Wheatley: America’s First Black Poet | David Waldstreicher | Video |
| Mar. 11 | James Longstreet | Elizabeth Varon | Video |
| Mar. 13 | Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Newton, Beethoven, and Einstein | Bulent Atalay | Video |
| Mar. 18 | Hedy Lamarr | Stephen Michael Shearer | Video |
| Mar. 20 | Jay Gatsby | Bob Batchelor | Video |
| Apr. 1 | John Lewis | Raymond Arsenault | Video |
| Apr. 3 | Pat Nixon | Health Hardage Lee | Video |
Great Lives Headlines
Mary Wash Day 2025
Thank you for supporting the William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series on Mary Wash Day 2025! Thanks to your generosity—and a generous match from Russ and Barbara Mait—we raised $26,347! We’re so grateful for the incredible support of this free, engaging program.