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 met our goal! We’re still finalizing the totals, and we’re so grateful for the incredible support of this free, engaging program. Please stay tuned for the final official count!