"American Giving: The History of Philanthropy in the United States"

This course will consider key aspects of the history of philanthropy in the United States. We will begin with consideration of some of
the prominent current debates over the nature of philanthropy, over the roles it should play in the U.S., and over the social norms and the government regulations that apply to it. Subsequent sessions will take up the role of philanthropy from the colonial period, into the 19^th century, the Gilded Age, and today, paying close attention to the development of religious institutions, the rights of women, the struggles of labor organizations, slavery and racial discrimination, and freedom of worship and freedom of speech.  

David Hammack, Hiram C. Haydn Professor of History Emeritus, Case Western Reserve University

Thursdays, September 5-October 3

1:30-3:30 p.m.                                               

"A Journey up the Nile – Exploring the Archeology of Ancient Egypt" 

The monuments of Ancient Egypt have long captivated popular imagination. But mummies, hieroglyphs and elaborate tomb paintings are far more than just ancient curiosities. This course will journey through the land of the pharaohs, introducing some of the main sites and examining the lives of the Ancient Egyptians. In addition to exploring pyramids, temples and tombs, each class will discuss what modern archaeological techniques are revealing about these ancient wonders.

Meghan Strong, Research Associate, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Thursdays, October 10-November 14

1:30-3:30 p.m.

American Tapestry: The Stories We Still Tell Ourselves

Andrew Roth, Scholar in Residence, The Jefferson Educational Society

Wednesdays, February 5-March 4

1:30-3:30 p.m.

Is there such a thing as "the American Story" or are there many American stories? If so, what are they?  How do they combine to create the American narrative binding us together as a nation and as a people? More fundamentally, in these fractious times why is how we answer these questions important? The five-part series begins with "We Tell Ourselves Stories", proceeds to "Freedom at Home and Abroad", "Freedom's Faultlines: Stories of Race and Gender", "Hamiltonian Economics and a Nation of Hustlers" and concludes with "The Immigrant's Tale.”  This course is replete with images, videos and music essential to America's many stories.

Landmark Centre – Beachwood

Crossing: A History of the Transatlantic Passage

John Grabowski, Associate Professor of Applied History, CWRU

Wednesdays, March 18-April 22

1:30-3:30 p.m.

Before the advent of fast, reliable air transport, “the only way to cross” an ocean was by ship.   This course will examine travel by ship from the seventeenth century to the present.   It is a story of immigration, travel adventures, disaster, design, and of an industry that transformed the world.  Shipping companies ranging from Cunard to the Hamburg American Line were powerful private enterprises, but also assets to, and symbols of the nations they represented.   This six session course will cover the age of sailing ships, the rise of steam-powered packet service, the importance of the immigrant trade, and the era of the great ocean liners ranging from the Mauritania to the Queen Mary and the Normandie, each of which epitomized an era of speed and style.    We will also focus on the rise and the history of cruising, an industry that dominates the oceans of the world today. 

Landmark Centre – Beachwood 

Join us for this multipart series that explores prominent works of art and those related to them within the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Cleveland Museum of Art

(Tours meet in the Atrium North Court Lobby)

Join us for this multipart series that explores prominent works of art and those related to them within the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Cleveland Museum of Art

(Tours meet in the Atrium North Court Lobby)