Great Lives Lecture Series

Great Lives

University of Mary Washington Great Lives

Presenter standing behind the podium, smiling, with a slide on the screen behind her.
Two men sitting in the audience in Dodd Auditorium smiling at the camera.
Presenter standing behind podium with a slide behind her. The slide is a sketch of a jail with the text, "Mary Lumpkin lived in Lumpkin's Jail complex with her enslaver".
Author signing her book titled "Elizabeth Taylor".
Three attendees holding the book titled, "A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe" by Mark Dawidziak.
Presenter on stage holding and speaking into a microphone.

The Great Lives Series: Biographical Approaches to History and Culture will begin its 22nd season on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, featuring 15 programs running through Thursday, March 20, 2025.

Lectures take place at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium. Each session typically includes a Q&A and book-signing. For more details, refer to the
FAQ section or use the “Contact Us” link on the website.

Date Lecture Speaker Media
Date Lecture Speaker Media
Jan. 21 Women of the CIA Liza Mundy
Jan. 23 Pete Rose Keith O’Brien
Jan. 28 Rod Serling Anne Serling
Jan. 30 Barbara Walters Susan Page
Feb. 4 John Glenn and Ted Williams Adam Lazarus
Feb. 6 Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull Mark Lee Gardner
Feb. 13 John Lewis Raymond Arsenault
Feb. 18 Captain James Cook Hampton Sides
Feb. 20 James A. Garfield C.W. Goodyear
Feb. 25 Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Newton, Beethoven, and Einstein                                              Bulent Atalay
Feb. 27 Phillis Wheatley: America’s First Black Poet  David Waldstreicher
Mar. 11 James Longstreet Elizabeth Varon
Mar. 13 Pat Nixon Health Hardage Lee
Mar. 18 Hedy Lamarr Stephen Michael Shearer
Mar. 20 Jay Gatsby Bob Batchelor

Great Lives Headlines

Scott H. Harris Named Director of Great Lives

Great Lives Lecture Series, picture of william crawley and scott harris, Fredericksburg, VA
William B. Crawley & Scott H. Harris

November 12, 2024, at the annual donor recognition event, Bill Crawley announced his retirement from the University after fifty-five years. Leadership for the well-known public lecture series is in the very capable hands of one of Crawley’s former students. Harris joined the Great Lives team in January 2024 as co-director with his former professor Bill Crawley. Scott is Executive Director of the University of Mary Washington Museums, comprising Gari Melchers Home and Studio, the James Monroe Museum, and the Papers of James Monroe.

Scott received his BA with honors in History and Historic Preservation from the University of Mary Washington in 1983. In 1988 he received an MA in History and Museum Administration from the College of William and Mary.

Click the button below to view a slideshow featuring photos from our season kick-off event!

VIEW PHOTO SLIDESHOW

Great Lives

Help Great Lives Live On

This compelling lecture series offers insight into a wide and diverse range of figures of historical and cultural significance. These presentations are delivered by eminent authorities from throughout this country — and abroad. Thanks to a substantial initial endowment and continuing annual support from John Chappell, the program is open to the public free of charge and no admission tickets are required. Public support — via attendance, donations, and ideas about future lecture topics — is vital to the continuation of this program.

Give to Great Lives

Weather Cancellations

When the University of Mary Washington is closed due to inclement weather the Great Lives Lecture is cancelled for that evening. To check for cancellations due to inclement weather, visit the Campus Advisories page, or the UMW Information Line at 540-654-2424.