LECTURES
Cornfields, Catfights, and Cantankerous Old Coots presented by Peggy Adair and The League of Women Voters*
Tuesday, April 2, 6:30PM and Sunday, April 21, 2PM
The story of Nebraska’s fight for Women’s suffrage was at times very scandalous and heated. Join Peggy Adair and members of the League of Women Voters for an entertaining discussion sharing many humorous and light-hearted moments in the struggle for women to gain the right to vote.
The Life and Times of Tyrannosaurus rex presented by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013, 5PM Reception, 6:30PM Presentation
As the most famous dinosaur species, Tyrannosaurus rex has been the
focus of intense scientific study. Recent discoveries have helped
scientists to understand the history of the tyrant king from its origin
from small, fuzzy carnivores to one of the largest predators ever to
walk the Earth. New analyses have helped us to understand the eyes,
nose, brain, claws, jaws, teeth, and legs to create a better picture of
how T. rex lived, fed, and fought. With the aid of fossils of young
tyrants, we now can reconstruct the changes in growth and behavior that
Tyrannosaurus went through during its life. With new information about
the dinosaurs, other animals, and plants which shared its environment,
we can see how the last of the giant dinosaur predators ruled North
America at the end of the Age of Dinosaurs.
Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr., is a dinosaur paleontologist specializing in
the origin, evolution, adaptations, and paleobiology of carnivorous
dinosaurs (especially Tyrannosaurus and its kin). He is a Senior
Lecturer in the Department of Geology at the University of Maryland,
College Park. Recent works include co-editing and writing Indiana
University’s The Complete Dinosaur, Second Edition and several chapters
in University of California Press’ The Dinosauria, Second Edition. In
addition to his technical publications, Dr. Holtz has written several
books for children (most recently Dinosaurs: The Most Up-To-Date
Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages, and has been a
consultant on numerous TV documentaries (including BBC/Discovery
Channel’s Walking with Dinosaurs, Dinosaur Revolution, Planet Dinosaur,
and the History Channel’s Jurassic Fight Club) and museum exhibits.
Dr.
Holtz is the Faculty Director of the College Park Scholars-Science
& Global Change Program, a residential
honors program for freshmen and sophomores interested in global change
science.
He lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C. with
his wife, a trio of cats, and an Inland bearded dragon lizard named Dr.
Emilio Lizardo.
The Durham Museum’s 2013 Civil War Lecture Series
In the year of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg fought July 1 -3, 1863, The Durham Museum is pleased to host a series of lectures focusing on some of the most significant events of the Civil War during 1863.
The Path to Gettysburg presented by Dr. Mark R. Scherer, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History at the University of Nebraska-Omaha*
Saturday, April 20 at 11AM and Tuesday, April 30 at 6:30PM
Dr. Scherer’s lecture will focus on the events of early 1863 that culminated in the watershed battle of the war at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The presentation will include discussion of the initial effects of the Emancipation Proclamation that went into effect on January 1, and the political, cultural, diplomatic, and military dynamics that led to the epic clash at Gettysburg. He will conclude with a brief examination of the battle itself and its lasting significance in American history.
The New York City Draft Riots and the Boundaries of Anti-Slavery Sentiment in the North presented Dr. Danielle Battisti, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Nebraska-Omaha*
Saturday, July 20 at 11AM and Tuesday, July 30 at 6:30PM
Dr. Battisti will focus on the events of the late summer and early fall of 1863, in the aftermath of Gettysburg. Her talk will place special emphasis on the often-underappreciated issues of antiwar and antislavery sentiment in the North during the war, manifested most dramatically and violently in the “draft riots” that rocked New York City and other major cities during the summer of 1863. Those confrontations typically pitted recently-arrived Irish immigrant groups against free African –Americans, and often resulted in widespread bloodshed, death, and destruction, at a time when the fate of the Union still remained very much in doubt.
Finding Meaning in an Ongoing Tragedy presented by Dr. Mark R. Scherer, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History at the University of Nebraska-Omaha*
Saturday, November 9 at 11AM and Tuesday, November 19 at 6:30PM
During this lecture, Dr. Scherer will seek to illuminate the events of late 1863, including President Lincoln’s continuing frustration with his military leaders, the political tensions of the time as the 1864 presidential election loomed on the horizon, and the ongoing ebb and flow of the military struggle, including key engagements at Chickamauga and Chattanooga. Scherer will also offer insights into one of the most resonant events in American history – Lincoln’s delivery of his famous Gettysburg Address in November, 1863, and its ongoing legacyin American history and culture.
*Due to limited space, reservations are required. Please email reservations@DurhamMuseum.org or call (402) 444-5071. Cost of admission applies and members are free.