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George C. Marshall: Exceptional American

Brig. Gen. John W. Mountcastle (USA, Ret.)
September 9 and 16, 2010   |   Time: 5:30–7:00 pm

This two-part lecture examines the fascinating life of one of America's most distinguished and selfless public servants. Working diligently to master his profession, George Catlett Marshall would come to prominence during the Great War, lead the U.S. Army during World War II, develop a plan for the restoration of post-war Europe, and become the only general ever awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.

The first class session will cover Marshall's education, his early service as an Army officer, the crucial role he played as a member of General Pershing's AEF in France, and his response to the nation's call on the verge of World War II.

Marshall's overwhelming success in that war, his relationship with American and other Allied leaders, and his determination to reestablish peace in a war-weary world will provide the primary focus for the second session. This two-part class will be taught by Brig. Gen. John W. Mountcastle (USA, Ret.).

$50/VHS members; $60/nonmembers
Register online

American Art from Colonial Times to 1950

By Elizabeth O’Leary
September 30 and October 7, 2010   |   Time: 5:30–7:00 pm

From Peale to Pollock, the compelling story of American art is one of adaptation, inspiration, and innovation. This two-part course will present leading artists and trends in the history of the cultural production of this nation, dating from the colonial period to the mid-20th century. Illustrated examples will include many key paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and decorative arts featured in the permanent collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Class members may also participate in a VMFA gallery stroll led by instructor Elizabeth O’Leary, the museum’s associate curator of American art.

$50/VHS members; $60/nonmembers
Register online

The Civil War on the James River

By John M. Coski
October 28, 2010   |   Time: 5:30–7:00 pm

So who exactly was Matthew Fontaine Maury, and what is his statue doing on Richmond's Monument Avenue? The Maury statue testifies to a largely forgotten chapter of Richmond’s Civil War history: the naval defense of the Confederate capital. Headquarters for the Confederate Navy Department, Richmond was also home to the James River Squadron and the site of one of the South's most prolific shipbuilding operations and a sprawling "naval-industrial complex." This course will introduce students to Richmond's naval history and, more generally, to the Confederacy's "brown water" navy. Dr. John M. Coski is historian and director of library and research at the Museum of the Confederacy. He is author of Capital Navy: The Men, Ships, and Operations of the James River Squadron (1996, 2005), "A Navy Department, Hitherto Unknown to Our State Organization," in Virginia at War 1861 (2005), and The Confederate Battle Flag: America's Most Embattled Emblem (2005).

$25/VHS members; $30/nonmembers
Register online

First Virginians: Native Americans before European Contact

Keith T. Egloff
November 11 and 18, 2010   |   Time: 5:30–7:00 pm

What is the current archaeological evidence for the first people in the Western Hemisphere, and when did they arrive in Virginia? What was the environment like? How did their technology, food ways, and societies change through thousands of years, while adapting to a changing environment? We don't have to travel to Egypt to learn how cultures changed from band societies to complex chiefdoms. The soil in Virginia tells this story. Through images of excavations, learn how archaeologists "read the soil" and recover artifacts. See images of artifacts, replicas, and artist's renderings, and learn about this immense period of Virginia history that lies beneath our feet. This two-part series will be presented by Keith T. Egloff, retired assistant curator at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, who has been conducting Native American archaeology throughout Virginia since 1977.

$50/VHS members; $60/nonmembers
Register online

Virginia Politics: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Robert Holsworth
December 2 and 9, 2010   |   Time: 5:30–7:00 pm

In each of the most recent election cycles for president, governor, and General Assembly, Virginia has continued to be a bellwether for national trends. This class examines the forces, the people, and the issues that are transforming politics in the Old Dominion today. The course will focus on key elections, major policy innovations, and the principal challenges that face the state in contemporary times. The class is taught by Dr. Robert Holsworth, one of the state's leading political analysts, founder of VirginiaTomorrow.com, and a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award Winner. He was also founding director of the Center for Public Policy and the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.

$50/VHS members; $60/nonmembers
Register online