{"id":60358,"date":"2019-11-06T18:51:35","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T23:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/?post_type=lecture&#038;p=60358"},"modified":"2024-04-30T10:25:28","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T14:25:28","slug":"francis-gary-powers","status":"publish","type":"lecture","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/lecture\/francis-gary-powers\/","title":{"rendered":"Francis Gary Powers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"wp-block-umw-hero alignfull umw-custom-block umw-hero umw-hero--dark-text umw-hero--white umw-hero--with-no-media\"><div class=\"umw-hero__inner\"><div class=\"umw-hero__media\"><\/div><div class=\"umw-hero__title\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"umw-hero__title__wrapper\"><div class=\"umw-hero__eyebrow\">great lives lecture series<\/div><h1 class=\"umw-hero__title__header\">Francis Gary Powers<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-umw-hero-ctas alignfull\"><div class=\"umw-hero__links\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"umw-hero__links__wrapper\">\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"wpv-view-output\" data-toolset-views-view-editor=\"4a5a3651559e8b114dc7acc3d178a1ac\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-toolset-views-view-editor wpv-gutenberg-view-wrapper-61885\">\n\n\n<div id=\"wpv-view-layout-61885-CATTR6a4dd4f68fcf5e707556828121763177\" class=\"js-wpv-view-layout js-wpv-layout-responsive js-wpv-view-layout-61885-CATTR6a4dd4f68fcf5e707556828121763177\" data-viewnumber=\"61885-CATTR6a4dd4f68fcf5e707556828121763177\" data-pagination=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;61885&quot;,&quot;query&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;disabled&quot;,&quot;effect&quot;:&quot;fade&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:500,&quot;speed&quot;:5,&quot;pause_on_hover&quot;:&quot;enabled&quot;,&quot;stop_rollover&quot;:&quot;false&quot;,&quot;cache_pages&quot;:&quot;enabled&quot;,&quot;preload_images&quot;:&quot;enabled&quot;,&quot;preload_pages&quot;:&quot;enabled&quot;,&quot;preload_reach&quot;:1,&quot;spinner&quot;:&quot;builtin&quot;,&quot;spinner_image&quot;:&quot;\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/plugins\/toolset-blocks\/embedded\/res\/img\/ajax-loader.gif&quot;,&quot;callback_next&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;manage_history&quot;:&quot;enabled&quot;,&quot;has_controls_in_form&quot;:&quot;disabled&quot;,&quot;infinite_tolerance&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;max_pages&quot;:1,&quot;page&quot;:1,&quot;base_permalink&quot;:&quot;\/greatlives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lecture\/60358?wpv_view_count=61885-CATTR6a4dd4f68fcf5e707556828121763177&amp;wpv_paged=WPV_PAGE_NUM&quot;,&quot;loop&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;data&quot;:[],&quot;id&quot;:0}}\" data-permalink=\"\/greatlives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lecture\/60358?wpv_view_count=61885-CATTR6a4dd4f68fcf5e707556828121763177\">\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n          <h2 class=\"lectureDate\">Lecture Date: February 4, 2020<\/h2>\n\n<h3>The Community Bank of the Chesapeake Lecture<\/h3>\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Great Lives, Francis Gary Powers 2020\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/390183220?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"533\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<div class=\"topicSummary\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"196\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/10\/Spy-Pilot_Feb4-196x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium alignright\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" style=\"\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/10\/Spy-Pilot_Feb4-196x300.jpg 196w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/10\/Spy-Pilot_Feb4-768x1174.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/10\/Spy-Pilot_Feb4-670x1024.jpg 670w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/10\/Spy-Pilot_Feb4-746x1140.jpg 746w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px\" \/><p>One of the most widely discussed and controversial events of the Cold War was the downing of the American U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960. The event was recently depicted in the Steven Spielberg movie Bridge of Spies. Powers was captured by the KGB, subjected to a televised show trial, and imprisoned, all of which created an international incident. Soviet authorities eventually released him in exchange for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. On his return to the United States, Powers was exonerated of any wrongdoing while imprisoned in Russia, yet a cloud of controversy lingered until his untimely death in 1977.\t<\/p>\n<p>His son, Francis Gary Powers Jr., has written a new account of his father's life based on personal files that have never been previously available. Delving into old audio tapes, the transcript of his father's debriefing by the CIA, other recently declassified documents about the U-2 program, and interviews with his contemporaries, Powers sets the record straight. The result is a fascinating piece of Cold War history which will be the focus of this lecture -- one proving that Francis Gary Powers acted honorably through a trying ordeal in service to his country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"lectureSpeaker\" style=\"padding-top: 1em;\">Speaker: Francis Gary Powers, Jr.<\/h2>\n<div class=\"speakerInfo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/10\/Feb4_Francis-Gary-Powers-Junior-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail alignleft\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" style=\"\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/10\/Feb4_Francis-Gary-Powers-Junior-150x150.jpg 150w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/10\/Feb4_Francis-Gary-Powers-Junior-50x50.jpg 50w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/10\/Feb4_Francis-Gary-Powers-Junior-75x75.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\n<p>Born June 5, 1965, in Burbank, California, he is the son of Francis Gary and Claudia \u201cSue\u201d Powers. Gary holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master\u2019s Degree in Public Administration \/ Certification in Non-profit Management from George Mason University (GMU), Fairfax, Virginia. In 2019 Gary graduated with his Master\u2019s Degree in U.S. History from Adams State University, Alamosa, CO.<\/p>\n<p>Gary is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of The Cold War Museum, a 501(c) (3) charity located at Vint Hill, VA 45 minutes west of Washington, DC. He founded the museum in 1996 to honor Cold War veterans, preserve Cold War history, and educate future generations about this time period. As Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study he works with the National Park Service and leading Cold War experts to identify historic Cold War sites for commemorating, interpreting, and preservation. Recently, he consulted for a Steven Spielberg Cold War thriller, <cite>Bridge of Spies,<\/cite> about James Donovan who brokered the 1962 spy exchange between KGB spy Rudolph Abel and CIA U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, Sr. <\/p>\n<p>Gary is the author of <cite>Letters from a Soviet Prison<\/cite> (2017) and <cite>Spy Pilot<\/cite> (2019) which both help to dispel the misinformation surrounding the U-2 Incident. He is a Board Member of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum near Omaha, NE and an Honorary Board Member of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. Because of his efforts to honor Cold War veterans the Junior Chamber of Commerce selected him as one of the \u201cTen Outstanding Young Americans\u201d for 2002. Gary lectures internationally and appears regularly on C-SPAN, the History, Discovery, and A&E Channels. He is married and has one son.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"season":[592],"class_list":{"0":"post-60358","1":"lecture","2":"type-lecture","3":"status-publish","5":"season-592","6":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Francis Gary Powers - Great Lives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Francis Gary Powers, Jr., author of Spy Pilot, speaks at the University of Mary Washington&#039;s Great Lives Series on February 4th, 2020.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/lecture\/francis-gary-powers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Francis Gary Powers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Francis Gary Powers, Jr., author of Spy Pilot, speaks at the University of Mary Washington&#039;s Great Lives Series on February 4th, 2020.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatlives\/lecture\/francis-gary-powers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Great Lives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-04-30T14:25:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatlives\\\/lecture\\\/francis-gary-powers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatlives\\\/lecture\\\/francis-gary-powers\\\/\",\"name\":\"Francis Gary Powers - 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