Leadership and Legacy: Conversations at the George Washington Presidential Library

Dr Mary Sarah Bilder is the Founders Professor of Law at Boston College Law School where she teaches in the areas of property trusts and estates and American legal and constitutional history She discusses her book Madisons Hand Revising the Constitutional Convention which was a finalist for the George Washington Book Prize Dr Bilder spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk at Mount Vernon on September 15 2016

Dr Bruce Ragsdale has served as director of the Federal Judicial History Office at the Federal Judicial Center and as an associate historian at the US House of Representatives He was also a fellow at the Washington Library during the 201415 academic year and was the recipient of the James C Rees Entrepreneurship Fellowship Dr Ragsdale discusses his work studying George Washingtons agricultural entrepreneurship including Washingtons interest in the continual improvement of his farms at Mount Vernon

Dr Edward Larson is a University Professor of history and holds the Hugh amp Hazel Darling Chair in Law at Pepperdine University He is also a Senior Fellow of the University of Georgias Institute of Higher Education and a visiting professor at Stanford Law In 1998 he received the Pulitzer Prize for History for his book Summer for the Gods The Scopes Trial and Americas Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion Dr Larson spoke at the Supreme Court Lecture Series at the Washington Library on April 28 2016

Michael Blakeman is a PhD candidate at Yale and was the Amanda and Greg Gregory Fellow at the Washington Library for the 20142015 academic year During this Lunch and Fellowship Program recorded on August 19 2015 Michael discusses his doctoral dissertation Speculation Nation Land and Mania in the Age of the American Revolution Over the course of the discussion youll hear Michael explain how the market for land speculation grew in the 1780s and 90s why speculators purchased such vast quantities of land and how land speculators used the American Revolution to boost their sales

Patrick K ODonnell is a combat historian author and public speaker who has written ten books recounting Americas wars He is an expert on elite and special operations units and irregular warfare and expert on the Office of Strategic Services Americas special operations forces during WWII and forerunner of the CIA He discusses his latest book Washingtons Immortals The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment who Changed the Course of the Revolution Mr ODonnell spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk on July 5 2016

Dr Stephen Brumwell is the author of numerous books and articles about early American History He discusses his book George Washington Gentleman Warrior which explores Washingtons role as commander of the Continental Army Highlights how Washingtons place in Virginia society influenced his ability to command how important Lawrence Washington was to his brother George and Washingtons place in history as a military commander

Dr TH Breen received his PhD from Yale University in 1968 and is currently the Director of the Chabraja Center for Historical Studies and History Department Chair at Northwestern University He discusses his book George Washingtons Journey The President Forges a New Nation Dr Breen spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk at the Washington Library on January 20 2016

Dr Adrienne M Harrison is currently a Fellow and Consulting Historian with Battlefield Leadership a consulting and training company specializing in providing customized experiential leadership training based in history A graduate of West Point she subsequently earned an MA and PhD in Early American History from Rutgers University Her work has been published in Oxford Bibliographies She discusses her book A Powerful Mind The SelfEducation of George Washington Dr Harrison spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk at the Library on May 3 2016

Dr Philip Levy is a Professor of History at the University of South Florida and was a member of the 201516 class of fellows at the Washington Library In 2008 he won international attention for coleading the team that found the remains of George Washingtons childhood home at Ferry Farm in Fredericksburg Virginia the saga of which he recounted in his 2013 book Where the Cherry Tree Grew The Story of Ferry Farm George Washingtons Boyhood Home His latest book George Washington Written Upon the Land explores the many retellings of Washingtons muchfabled childhood and covers themes ranging from biography to archaeology and environmental history to rabbinic thought

Dr Joshua Canale is an instructor of history at Jefferson Community College in Watertown New York and was a member of the Washington Librarys 201516 class of academic fellows He discusses his dissertation topic American Dictators Committees for Public Safety during the American Revolution