The University of Mary Washington will present its Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series beginning Tuesday, Jan. 24.
The program, formerly known as the Chappell Lecture Series, has been re-named the Crawley Lecture Series, in honor of its founder and continuing director, UMW History Professor Emeritus William Crawley.
Now in its 14th year, the four-month series examines the lives of historical figures told through lectures by nationally prominent biographers and authors. The talks will be held at 7:30 p.m. on selected Tuesdays and Thursdays in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium and are open to the public free of charge.
“This year’s program will be eclectic and diverse,” said William B. Crawley.
The series will open with a lecture on President Woodrow Wilson by author David O. Stewart. The series will present 19 lectures, with topics spanning ancient times (Roman emperors Nero and Caligula) to the present (Star Wars creator George Lucas). It will include American political leaders from three centuries: 18th (Alexander Hamilton), 19th (Andrew Jackson), and 20th (Woodrow Wilson). From the world of popular culture, topics will include Frank Sinatra and John Wayne, and from literature, Mark Twain and Agatha Christie.
Notable female subjects include Americans Harriet Tubman, Sally Hemings and Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani.A number of topics focus on controversial characters such as the witches of Salem, Nat Turner and George Armstrong Custer.
Among the prominent speakers are Pulitzer Prize winners TJ Stiles, Stacy Schiff and Annette Gordon-Reed.
Each program includes a Q&A session with the audience. In partnership with the University Bookstore, selected titles related to the topic are available for purchase in the Dodd foyer the night of the lecture.
For more information and a complete listing of lectures, visit https://www.umw.edu/greatlives or call the Office of University Events and Conferencing at (540) 654-1065.