All of the one-hour talks will begin at 6 p.m. in Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium.
Topics and speakers and dates are:
- “The Conservative Mind at 60: Russell Kirk’s Continuing Relevance in American Politics,” Lee Cheek, political science professor, East Georgia State University, Sept. 10. Cheek’s talk takes place on the anniversary of Kirk’s famed 1953 book on conservatism.
- “Leading the Eleanor Roosevelt Way,” historian and author Robin Gerber, Sept. 26. Gerber’s talk will explore rise of the prominent U.S. first lady 80 years ago and the influence her leadership strategies still exert today.
- “George Marshall: American Leader for All Seasons,” Josiah Bunting III, president, Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, Oct. 28. Marshall received the Nobel Peace Prize 60 years ago for developing a far-reaching foreign aid program after World War II.
- “The Origin and Promise of Camelot: Rose Kennedy and the Creation of the Kennedy Image,” Barbara Perry, political scientist and author, Nov. 20. Perry recently published the biography “Rose Kennedy: The Life and Times of a Political Matriarch.”
The non-partisan McConnell Center, created at UofL in 1991, prepares Kentucky’s top college undergraduate students to become leaders and offers civic education programs for teachers, students and the general public.