Home > News & Events > Press releases > 11.21.08

Contact: Jennifer M. Guild, Senior Officer for Public Relations and Marketing
Tel: (804) 342-9665  |  Email: jguild@vahistorical.org

Richmond, VA – October 23 and 24 became memorable days in the lives of twenty high school students from across the Commonwealth. The students were honored guests at the sixteenth-annual J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr., Lecture, and they also got to meet and discuss history with award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. As participants in the tenth-annual Virginia Historical Society (VHS) Wyndham B. Blanton Scholars Forum, the students heard Burns talk about his 2007 World War II documentary. The following morning, scholars participated in a discussion-style seminar with Dr. Ronald L. Heinemann, Squires Professor Emeritus of History at Hampden-Sydney College.

"I have no doubt that many years from now when people are asked just what sparked their interest in history, a very large number of them will say a Ken Burns film," VHS President and CEO Charles F. Bryan, Jr., said to the lecture crowd of 1,200. "For those of us who are in the business of preserving and sharing our history with the public, we owe a deep debt of gratitude to Ken Burns. He is a great teacher."

Burns said that being in Virginia was an enormously satisfying moment for him because his great grandfather and other members of his family were born in the state. During his talk, which took place on the evening of October 23 at First Baptist Church, Burns spoke about The War, a 15-hour, seven-part television series that tells the story of World War II through the personal accounts of nearly forty men and women from four American towns.

"I am interested in the power of history," Burns said. "I am interested in a true, honest, and complicated past that is unafraid of controversy and tragedy. I want to expose the positive progress of all mankind through the stories and histories of our past."

Blanton Scholar applicants are required to submit a research paper related to the chosen forum topic along with a letter of recommendation and a teacher checklist. Twenty students chosen by the Society's Teacher Advisory Board were notified of their acceptance to the program in September. The VHS covers meals and lodging expenses for out-of-town students and their chaperones. In addition to getting to meet Burns, Blanton Scholars received an autographed copy of The War: An Intimate History, 1941–1945, written by Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward, which they read before attending the lecture.

Burns has been making documentary films for more than 25 years and is the creator, director, and producer of numerous award-winning works, including Jazz, The Civil War, and Baseball. His films are among the most-watched programs in Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) history, each having attracted more than 45 million viewers. Burns's work has earned him numerous Emmys and Grammys, the Clarion Award, the Television Critics Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports and Special Programming, the Producer of the Year Award from Producer's Guild, a People's Choice Award, and a Peabody Award, among others. His next project, The National Parks: American's Best Idea, is scheduled to air on PBS in late 2009.

Virginia historian and author Ron Heinemann, who is on the board of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, spoke to the students at the Blanton Scholars Forum. The seminar included a question-and-answer session about whether World War II was a "good" war. Heinemann also signed copies of his book Old Dominion, New Commonwealth: A History of Virginia, 1607–2007 for the scholars.

The Blanton Scholars program, named in honor of a former president of the VHS, was established a decade ago by an anonymous benefactor who wanted to create a statewide forum for high school students studying Virginia and American history. This year's event also received support from the Alfred I. duPont Foundation. The program is designed to bring together juniors and seniors from across the state with some of the nation's leading historians. Previous lecture and forum participants include Michael Beschloss, Stephen Ambrose, Scott Berg, David Gergen, Ron Chernow, Edmund Morris, Cokie Roberts, Rick Atkinson, and David McCullough.

"For the past ten years, it has been a privilege to work with the best and brightest students in our state," said Canan Boomer, Assistant Director of Education at the Virginia Historical Society. "We hope that the inspiring words of both of this year's talented historians will motivate the students throughout their educational endeavors."

Additional high-resolution images of the 2008 Blanton Scholars and Ken Burns are available upon request. For photographs, please email jguild@vahistorical.org.

The Virginia Historical Society is located at 428 N. Boulevard. The Story of Virginia, An American Experience, a 10,000-square-foot exhibition with more than a thousand objects covering all of Virginia history from prehistoric times to the present is featured in the Robins Center for Virginia History. Hours: Monday–Saturday 10 am–5 pm and Sunday 1 pm–5p m (Museum Galleries and Shop only). Admission: $5/adults, $4/seniors 55+ ($2/Tuesdays–galleries only), $3/children and students, free/members. Admission to the galleries is free on Sundays. For group tour information, call (804) 342-9652. For more information, please call (804) 358-4901 or visit www.vahistorical.org.

428 North Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23220    |    Mail: P.O. Box 7311, Richmond, VA 23221-0311    |    Phone: 804.358.4901
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