"The American Presidency"
Lecture Series Oct. 2004 - March 2005
"Building the Bully Pulpit: Men Who Made the American Presidency"

Theodore Roosevelt called the presidency "a bully pulpit," referring to the enormous power held by the president of the United States. Join us for "Building the Bully Pulpit: Men Who Made the American Presidency" - a package of six afternoon lectures examining the office of the presidency and the transformation of the bully pulpit. Enjoy interesting conversation as notable historians, professors and authors discuss and assess the work of those who have held the most prestigious office in the land.

"Building the Bully Pulpit" is held in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution exhibit, "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden," at the Minnesota History Center from Oct. 9, 2004, through mid-May 2005.

The Minnesota Historical Society gratefully acknowledges Elizabeth and Whitney MacMillan for their generous support that has made this program and the Minnesota exhibition of "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden" possible.

Lecture Descriptions

"The Third Revolution: Adams vs. Jefferson"
John Ferling, author and professor
Oct. 16, 2004
It was a contest of titans: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two heroes of the Revolutionary era - once intimate friends, now icy antagonists locked in a fierce battle for the American presidency and the future of the United States. John Ferling gives a gripping account of an election that ultimately assured the democratization of the country and the presidency. Ferling has authored numerous books, and will be featured in "The American Experience: John and Abigail Adams" on PBS. He is a professor of history at the State University of West Georgia. After the lecture, Ferling will sign copies of his book, Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800 (Oxford University Press, 2004), available for purchase online or in the History Center's Museum Stores.

"The Afterlife of Lincoln"
Thomas J. Brown, professor
Nov. 13, 2004
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most revered icons in American politics. Nearly every president since 1865 has attempted to associate himself with "Honest Abe's" image of wisdom and humanity. Lincoln is also arguably the most important president - his actions defined discussions of race in America and forever altered the office of the presidency. Thomas Brown will examine how, even in the 21st century, we continue to live with the many legacies of Lincoln.

Brown is an associate professor of history and associate director of the Institute for Southern Studies at the University of South Carolina, where he has taught since 1996. Brown is also a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians.

"The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presence"
Patrick Maney, author and professor
Dec. 11, 2004
Franklin D. Roosevelt is the only 20th century president historians consistently rank as significant as the Founding Fathers and Abraham Lincoln. His leadership in the dark hours of the Depression and World War II gave him an aura of greatness and his presidency has been the model for many of his successors from Truman to Clinton. Patrick Maney provides an original and insightful lecture that reexamines Roosevelt's life and legacy - carefully sifting fact from myth - and shows how the Roosevelt legend shaped the modern presidency.

Following the lecture, Maney will sign copies of his book, The Roosevelt Presence: The Life and Legacy of FDR (U of C Berkeley Press, 1998), available for purchase online or in the History Center's Museum Stores. The American Historical Review described the book as "Deeply informed, elegantly written and persuasively argued." Maney is a professor and chair of the history department at the University of South Carolina, and is currently researching a book on the presidency of Bill Clinton.

"The Transformation of Teddy Roosevelt"
Kathleen Dalton, author
Jan. 22, 2005
Theodore Roosevelt made himself the hero of his own strenuous life by transforming himself from a sickly and fearful patrician boy into a fiercely adventurous man. But one self-transformation was not enough for him. In this lecture, Kathleen Dalton shows how Teddy Roosevelt shed his aristocratic upbringing and refashioned himself into a defender of the people and a prophet of new political ideas, while urging Americans to do the same and transform the country.

Dalton has provided commentary on Teddy Roosevelt in documentaries for the History Channel, C-Span Forum and A&E "Biography." A former fellow at the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History at Harvard University, she is the Cecil F.P. Bancroft Instructor of History and Social Science at Phillips Academy. Following the lecture, Dalton will sign copies of her book, Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life (Alfred A. Knopf, 2002), available for purchase online or in the History Center's Museum Stores.

"Harry S. Truman - American democrat"
Alonzo Hamby, author and professor
Feb. 19, 2005
Harry S. Truman is remembered today as the plain-speaking "Give 'Em Hell Harry," but there was more to Truman than the pugnacious fighter so prominent in popular memory. He was also insecure, ambitious, a man of honor, a partisan loyalist and a champion of big government. Americans cherish him less for what he did than for whom he was - an ordinary person who worked his way up the political ladder to the summit of power.

Alonzo L. Hamby provides a look at the person Truman was, why he changed and how he triumphed. Historians from William Leuchtenberg to Douglas Brinkley have hailed Hamby's book, Man of the People: A Life of Harry S. Truman, as the definitive biography of the 33rd American president. Hamby is the Distinguished Professor of History at Ohio University. His book will be available for purchase online or in the History Center's Museum Stores.

"How Are We Doing? A Rating of 10 Recent Presidents"
Robert Divine, professor
March 19, 2005
Are we living in a time of great presidents? Find out how the presidents of our lifetime stack up against the giants of the past. In the final lecture of this series, Robert Divine will explore how historians have assessed the 10 most recent presidents: Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton.

Divine, Littlefield Professor Emeritus, taught American history for 42 years at the University of Texas at Austin where he received awards for both graduate and undergraduate teaching. He is also a distinguished lecturer for the Organization of American Historians.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Location
Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul (near the Cathedral of St. Paul and the State Capitol).

Time
Saturdays, 2 p.m.

Event Details
Following each presentation, the lecturer will be available for questions and discussion. Refreshments will be served.

Tickets

• Series subscription: $54 for Society members; $76 for general public
• Individual tickets*: $10 for Society members; $14 for general public

Register
By Phone: Call Danielle Dart at 651-296-3252.

Online: Complete the online registration form.