The Department of History and American Studies at the University of Mary Washington will continue the Centennial Edition of the “Chappell Lecture Series: Great Lives” on selected Tuesdays and Thursdays during the spring semester.
The program examines the lives of intriguing figures throughout history. In celebration of the university’s 100th anniversary, the series is focusing on compelling people who lived between 1908 and 2008. In addition, the series is featuring special lectures on Mary Ball Washington, for whom the university was named, to kick off the series and during Founders Week in March. The lectures will be held at 7:30 p.m. in George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium, and are open to the public free of charge.
Speakers featured in February include Meryle Secrest, Pulitzer-Prize-nominated biographer; Douglas Gately, lecturer in the UMW music department; Timothy O’Donnell, associate professor of speech at UMW; Robert Gellately, professor of history at Florida State University; Porter Blakemore, associate professor of history and American studies at UMW; and Mark Perry, a military, intelligence and foreign affairs analyst and writer.
On Thursday, February 7, Meryle Secrest will give a lecture on “Frank Lloyd Wright.” Secrest is the author of nine biographies, including “Frank Lloyd Wright: A Biography,” and she is the recipient of the 2006 National Humanities Medal.
The series will continue on Tuesday, February 12, with a lecture on “Ella Fitzgerald” given by Douglas Gately, who also is director of the UMW Jazz Ensemble. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Mary Washington and a master’s degree from George Mason University.
On Tuesday, February 19, Timothy O’Donnell will present a lecture on “James Farmer.” Dr. O’Donnell is associate professor of speech at Mary Washington and director of the debate program. He received a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wake Forest University and a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.
On Thursday, February 21, Robert Gellately will present “Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler.” Dr. Gellately is considered one of the leading historians on modern Europe in World War II and the Cold War. He is author of “Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe,” which has achieved international notoriety and has been translated into many languages. He has won numerous research awards, including grants from the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, the Alexander von-Humboldt Foundation in Germany and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Dr. Gellately studied Russian and German history at Memorial University of Newfoundland and received a doctorate from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
On Tuesday, February 26, Porter Blakemore will present “Douglas MacArthur.” A former naval aviator, Dr. Blakemore is a knowledgeable source on military history, modern German history, modern European diplomatic history and the history of Europe since 1945. In addition, he teaches seminars on Nazi Germany and World War I.
On Thursday, February 28, Mark Perry will speak on “Eisenhower and Marshall.” Perry is the author of the nonfiction “Partners in Command: George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower in War and Peace.” A writer, reporter and foreign policy analyst, he has contributed articles to numerous publications, including The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, The Los Angeles Times and New York Newsday.
The “Great Lives” lecture series will continue through April. For more information or for a complete listing of the lectures, contact the Office of University Relations at (540) 654-1055 or visit www.umw.edu/greatlives.