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Alumni Discount Codes

We offer discounts for our three alumni association partners: KU, K-State and Washburn. These discounts are only available for paid alumni association members and can only be applied to courses; they cannot apply to special events:

KU Alumni Association Member Discount - KUAASUMMER2022
KSU Alumni Association Member Discount - KSUAASUMMER2022
Washburn Alumni Association Member Discount - WUAASUMMER2022

Courses Donation Special Events

Courses & Events

A Three-Day Tour of the Crystal Bridges Museum, Harry Truman's Birthplace and Gordon Parks Museum

Wednesday, July 20 - Friday, July 22 (First come, first served. This event will sell out!)

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., boasts a world-class collection of American masterworks on 120 acres of natural Ozark landscape. During our time at the museum there will be lots to experience including various tours such as:

Bachman-Wilson House - Enjoy this exquisite Frank Lloyd Wright house built originally in New Jersey, but skillfully disassembled and reconstructed on a specially designed site. Self-guided tour.
Architecture Tour - This tour introduces the unique features of Moshe Safdie's design (who also designed the Kauffman Center) and provides insights into some of the challenges the site posed. Docent-led tour.
Collection Highlights Tour - Visit some of the best-known names in American art, including Gilbert Stuart's George Washington, Asher B. Durand's Kindred Spirits and Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter. Docent-led tour.
Art Trail Tour - View the sculptures, waterways, and native plants found along Crystal Bridges' Art Trail-a paved path that includes a moderate slope with incline requiring appropriate footwear. Self-guided tour.
Kusama Infinity Mirrored Room - Artwork by Yayoi Kusama is an enclosed room filled with mirrors and dotted, color-changing paper lanterns. Not for individuals sensitive to flashing lights. View time is 60 seconds.
Temporary Exhibit "Dirty South" - Self-guided tour.
You will also be able to visit "Architecture at Home," an outdoor exhibit and spend time in the various galleries, library, and trails on the property.

Wednesday, July 20

We'll enjoy lunch at Press Room in historic downtown Bentonville, followed by our first tour. That evening we'll have dinner at Fred's Hickory Inn.

Thursday, July 21

After breakfast, we'll board the bus for a visit to the Museum of Native American History, nominated for Top 10 History Museums by USA Today, before returning to Crystal Bridges for more scheduled tours and/or exploring the museum, gift shop and grounds on your own. You'll enjoy an included lunch at your pace and on your schedule. That evening we'll explore downtown Bentonville and dinner on your own in one of the colorful restaurants.

Friday, July 22

Following breakfast we'll travel to Lamar, Mo., birthplace of Harry Truman. Then we're on to Fort Scott, where we'll enjoy lunch and a visit to the Gordon Parks Museum on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

Schedule: Wednesday, July 20

7 a.m. - Coach departs Lawrence Osher Institute, 1515 St. Andrews Dr., on Wed. and returns on Fri. around 4 p.m.

8 a.m. - Coach departs KU Edwards Campus, 12600 Quivira Rd., Overland Park, on Wed. and returns Fri. around 3 p.m.

$510 fee per person - double occupancy

$610 fee per person - single occupancy

Fee includes coach transportation, lodging, two breakfasts, three lunches and dinner on Wednesday evening. Dinner on Thursday is not included.

Refund must be requested by June 29 minus a $100 administrative fee.

July 20-22, 2022

An Exploration of the Arts and Culture in Edo Era Japan (1603-1868) (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Following a long and arduous warring states period (1467-1600), Japan entered a time of peace under the Tokugawa Shogunate which opened opportunities for art and culture to flourish. The stunning theater arts of Bunraku (Puppet) and Kabuki delighted crowds while Samurai established schools and cultivated the arts of Zen meditation, tea ceremony, poetry, and calligraphy. This era features a distinctive aesthetic sensibility that is evident in a variety of art forms including screen paintings, scrolls, sculptures, ceramics, lacquers, textiles, and woodblock prints. Ms. Daugherty provides an engaging course through her stunning slides, video demonstrations, and entertaining stories. Sharing items from her own collection of kimonos, obi, tea ceremony items, and calligraphy is an added treat. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Dianne Daugherty holds master's degrees in education and contemporary East Asian studies, with doctorate hours in public health and Gerontology. She lived and worked in Japan for three years, and taught Japanese to high school and college students for more than 20 years.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Art and Soul

We will explore the intersection between spirituality and visual art, aiming to better understand the transcendent quality of truly great visual pieces. We will look at major works, both religious and secular, to see how different artists speak to the human soul-from Giotto's iconic Medieval frescoes to Rothko's ethereal color fields to haunting videos by Bill Viola. We'll discuss unique ways that representational and abstract art address the spiritual experience, and why a piece of art has a powerful impact on one viewer but not another. Participants will have the opportunity to share their individual experiences with visual art.

Instructor Bio: Tim Bascom spent half his childhood in East Africa, where his parents were medical missionaries. He wrote two memoirs about those years: Chamelon Days and Running to the Fire. His new book, Climbing Lessons: Stories of Fathers, Sons, and the Bond Between, is also an exploration, of the spiritual heritage passed on within a family. Bascom is currently Executive Director for the Kansas Book Festival.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Pre-Recorded Course.)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

In this course, we will examine the creation and growth of artificial intelligence. Emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies were designed to save time and energy, make jobs simpler and allow employees to work more efficiently and productively. Can AI be controlled? We will examine how computers are coded to mirror capabilities of the human brain and how AI has and will impact the future work, healthcare, industrial automation, and engineering, design and construction. We will also investigate how AI has and may impact the capabilities of global military autonomous weapons. Many economists and scientists believe this will result in a fourth industrial revolution within the next decade. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Tom Coleman holds a bachelor's degree in Business and Economics from Washburn University and is a retired Federal Contracting Officer.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Birds of a Feather: A History of American Birding

Almost 50 million Americans watch wild birds in their yards. In this course we'll look at American birdwatching from its origins in the American wilderness through today's eBird listers. The first session covers, not only John James Audubon, but explorers before him and the frontier ornithologists he inspired. The second part looks at the development of ornithology as a profession and the beginnings of conservation efforts, such as the Audubon Society. The final session reviews the popularity of modern birding, which started in 1934 when a young schoolteacher publishes A Field Guide to the Birds. This course is based, in part, on Scott Weidensaul's book, Of a Feather, A Brief History of American Birding.

Instructor Bio: Thomas Luellen recently retired after 31 years in hospital administration and 14 years as an adjunct instructor at Washburn University. He has a master's degree in geography from the KU. His personal interests have always been his native state and its history.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Botanical Gardens Around the World

Botanical gardens were first developed in the 16th century as medicinal gardens, but today they are destination sites for plant lovers around the world. From the oldest botanical garden in England, the Chelsea Physic Garden, to the newly revived Scampston Hall walled garden in North Yorkshire, and from the local Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine, Kan., to the Irish National Garden in Belfast, we will explore the history, beauty and meaning of the botanical garden through photography, art and literature. You won't want to miss this armchair tour!

Instructor Bio: Thomas Fox Averill is professor emeritus at Washburn University where he taught Kansas literature, folklore, and film for more than 40 years. He is the author of three-story collections and five novels, almost all of them set in Kansas. His most recent book is Found Documents from the Life of Nell Johnson Doerr: A Novel.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Climate Change: More Fires, Floods, Droughts and Hurricanes

Join us as we explore the causes and history of climate change and discuss how the planet has been uninhabitable five times in the ancient past. Learn about the evidence available to indicate that climate change is occurring as we look at the various floods, droughts, fires and storms in 2021 and compare them historically. In addition, we will spend time considering the current programs and long-term solutions to stop climate change. The class will conclude with a discussion on "With great change comes great opportunity"; in short, new industries will blossom and some companies and industries will disappear.

Instructor Bio: Charles "Chick" Keller is a retired senior executive and retired professor. He worked 15 years at each Sprint and Black and Veatch in strategic planning and strategic marketing rising to vice president. In 2000, Chick became a professor at the University of Kansas, Master of Engineering Management program where he taught Finance and Strategic Planning.

July 19, 2022 to August 2, 2022, Tallgrass Creek Retirement Community (Overland Park, KS)

Climate Change: More Fires, Floods, Droughts and Hurricanes - Tallgrass Residents

July 19, 2022 to August 2, 2022, Tallgrass Creek Retirement Community (Overland Park, KS)

Conspiracy Theories and Paranoid Politics

This course will examine what historian Richard Hofstadter famously dubbed "the paranoid style" in politics. We will consider the history of conspiracy theories, particularly those driven by fear of Jesuits, Freemasons, Communist infiltrators, and Jews. All this in light of more recent conspiratorial thinking by Holocaust deniers, Q-Anon enthusiasts, 9/11 "truthers," and anti-vaxxers. We will also ask what gives rise to the paranoid mindset? Is it the media environment and contingent cultural influences, or permanent features of human cognition? And is the "paranoid style" really worse today, or is suspicion that it is just another example of paranoia?

Instructor Bio: Eliah Bures holds a Ph.D. in history from UC Berkeley. He is a fellow at Berkeley's Center for Right-Wing Studies and the author of multiple essays and scholarly articles on far-right politics.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Deep Time: Stories from the Rocks (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

It is only in relatively recent history that we have come to understand that the earth is immensely older than a few thousand years. By careful studies of rock layering and their fossils and minerals, ancient worlds have emerged out of our seas, forests and deserts. The study of geology has the axiom that "the present is the key to the past." However, the record of the rocks can also tell us something about the future of the planet. In this class we will review some chapters from earth history and examine fossils and rock sample that provide clues to this story.

This is NOT a live course. IT is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: John Doveton at the age of nine, saw a picture of a trilobite and was captivated by this little creature from the very distant past. He experienced what geologists refer to as "Deep Time." John studied geology at university and took field trips all over Europe before starting his career as a wellsite geologist on drilling rigs in Canada. He has taught at the University of Kansas for more than 40 years.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Donation to the Osher Institute

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at KU was established in 2004 by a grant for the Bernard Osher Foundation as an outreach program of the University of Kansas. Its mission is to offer noncredit enrichment courses and events to folks over 50 years of age, although we welcome learners of all ages. We rely on financial support from our members and the community to create a sustainable program. If you would like to support the Osher Institute, please click the link below. If you have questions, please contact Linda Kehres at 785-864-1373 or linda.k@ku.edu. Thank you.

April 11, 2022 to August 31, 2022

Exploration Time: Discover the Thirteen United States Presidential Libraries and Museums

What is similar between these American cities, West Branch, Iowa, Hyde Park, New York Austin, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia. These places are homes to a United States Presidential Library and Museum. It all began with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the late 1930s. These impressive structures are repositories of valuable presidential documents and artifacts. Where else can you find a wheel chair that was used daily by one of the presidents, a collection of moonrocks, the "Flying White House, the presidential Air Force One plane, or view the World War II actual world maps studied by the U.S. Commander in Chief before sending American troops to strategic locations? The course gives a general overview of the Who, Where, When, What and Why of the thirteen U.S. Presidential Libraries and Museums. Special emphasis is on the two outstanding local U.S. Presidential Libraries and Museums in the Kansas City area, the Eisenhower and Truman Libraries and Museums. The other 11 U.S. Presidential Libraries and Museums will also be mentioned, based on personal visits to the libraries and museums and scholarly research done by the presenter.

Instructor Bio: Attorney Anita Tebbe is a retired a professor of legal studies at Johnson County Community College.

July 28, 2022 to August 11, 2022, Edwards Campus KU Edwards Campus, Regnier Hall & Online (Overland Park , KS)

Fast Food Fifties

The 1950s were a decade marked by the post-World War II boom, the dawn of the Cold War and the Civil Rights movement in the United States. America was the world's strongest military power, its economy was booming, and the fruits of this prosperity were available to more people than ever, and created a widespread sense of stability, contentment, and consensus. And we witnessed poodle skirts, greasers, and some amazing food. Take a trip down memory lane with old recipes for 1950s food. These appetizers, main courses and desserts were popular back when a gallon of milk only cost $0.82.

Instructor Bio: Chef Larry Canepa is a Certified Culinary Educator with over 40 years of food and beverage experience and 20 years of teaching cooking, food and culture, and STEAM-focused classes. He has taught culinary classes at Le Cordon Bleu, the International Culinary School at the Art Institute, corporate wellness events, libraries, community centers and other venues. His engaging, entertaining, educational 'food-tainment' events have been enjoyed by hundreds.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Frederick Douglass: From Slave to Statesman

Frederick Douglass (c. February1817 - February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, becoming famous for his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. Douglass wrote three autobiographies, describing his experiences as a slave, and following the Civil War, he was an active campaigner for the rights of freed slaves. This course will begin by focusing on Douglass' life as a slave and escape from slavery; continue with a look at his autobiographies and other writings; and conclude with his life in Washington, D.C. as an elder statesman.

Instructor Bio: Paul Post, a native Kansan, received a B.A. in History from KSU and a law degree from the KU Law School in 1974. Now retired from the practice of law, he is a member of the Topeka Landmarks Commission and was Commission Vice Chair in2018. He has authored essays on the history of SBA Hill/ former Menninger Campus in Topeka; Topeka's Bates Family; The Fred Harvey Company; and on Duke Ellington.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Frederick Douglass: From Slave to Statesman - Tallgrass Residents

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

German Settlements and Culture in Kansas

Did you know that 30 percent of Kansans claim German ancestry, and German is the most prevalent language after English and Spanish spoken in homes in 77 counties in Kansas? Since the opening of Kansas in 1854, thousands of German-speaking immigrants have sought to better their lives here, including Pennsylvania Dutch, Volga Germans, Mennonites, Austrians and Swiss. German churches dot the prairie, and even now, many rural Kansans speak a dialect of German as their first language.

Instructor Bio: William Keel, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus of German at KU, having taught the history and culture of German settlements in Kansas and Missouri.

July 12-26, 2022, Edwards Campus KU Edwards Campus, Regnier Hall & Online (Overland Park , KS)

Ghost Towns of Kansas (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Step back in time and explore dozens of ghost towns that have joined the roster of the Kansas Dead Town List. Whether extinct, abandoned or incorporated into a neighboring city or town, the remnants and demise of these long-lost Kansas towns weave a story about the greater history of the state. We'll examine the forces that led to the demise of a town that was one of the bloodiest Indian battles fought in northwest Kansas, a town that existed as a health resort, a town formed as a social experiment and vegetarian commune, and many other intriguing stories. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Pete Dulin, Kansas City-based writer, covers food, craft beer and wine. His work has appeared in Z�calo Public Square, NPR, Feast, The Kansas City Star, River Front Times and Flatland. He is the author of "Expedition of Thirst: Exploring Breweries, Wineries, and Distilleries Across the Heart of Kansas."

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Gladiators of Ancient Rome (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Gladiatorial combats were prevalent in ancient Rome for 700 years. We will examine the origins of these "games," how they spread and grew in popularity and why they continued. We'll learn where gladiators came from, how they were trained and what their living conditions were like, as well as types of gladiators and how they were paired for combat. Find out about the building of the Colosseum and other venues throughout the empire, the attraction to individual gladiators and how many became popular and developed into sex symbols and, finally, the eventual decline of the institution. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Larry Burke is a retired professor of history at Dodge City Community College and a retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserve.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Happy Days: a Nostalgic Review of the 1950's

For a significant majority of Americans, the fifties were good times. The Baby Boom, prosperity and rising home ownership fueled more fun than in previous and subsequent decades. Do you remember Howdy Doody, poodle skirts, S&H Green Stamps, the McGuire Sisters, as well as big cars with chrome and tail fins? We will look back on these things and more when covering such topics as suburbanization, television, cars, movies, music, fads, fashions, foods, beverages, toys, games and print media. We also touch on social critics and worries like polio. We will compare our memories to documents, film clips and music.

Instructor Bio: Carl Graves, Ph.D., holds a master's degree in US history from KU and a doctorate from Harvard. He taught at the university and community college levels, and at Kansas City's Pembroke Hill School.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

iPhone Photography - Beyond Point-and-Shoot (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Go mobile with your digital photography and explore creative possibilities with your iPhone camera. We will help expand your skill set using your iPhone camera, exploring the basic operations, tools, apps and tricks to help make you smartphone camera-smart. Included will be discussions and demonstrations on how to improve your photography through creative visual devices and techniques. Please bring your iPhones so we can do some hands-on practice in class. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Mike Yoder, formerly with the Lawrence Journal-World, has 25 years of experience in film and digital documentary photography and his photographs have been included in numerous books

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

John Brown: Ardent Abolitionist or Domestic Terrorist

John Brown considered slavery to be America's original sin-first declaring that all men are created equal only to disavow that in the Constitution. Not only did he oppose slavery, but he was also the leading exponent of violence in the abolition movement. We'll closely examine Brown's life and the roles he played during the Bleeding Kansas period, the sacking of Lawrence, the Pottawatomie massacre, the battles of Black Jack and Osawatomie, his incursions to free slaves in Missouri, and finally, the failed raid on Harper's Ferry, which led to his hanging.

Instructor Bio: Jim Peters, J.D., is the director emeritus of the Osher Institute at KU. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and the New England School of Law. He teaches courses on John Brown, the Underground Railroad, Arlington National Cemetery, Harry Truman, Teddy Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, George Washington Carver, and Presidential Assassins, among others.

June 28, 2022 to July 12, 2022, Edwards Campus KU Edwards Campus, Regnier Hall & Online (Overland Park , KS)
July 26, 2022 to August 9, 2022, Brewster Place (Topeka, KS)

Kansans and the Experience of Civil War, 1861-65

The Bleeding Kansas era of 1854-61 is well remembered, but how did the new state of Kansas fare during the ensuing Civil War? From 1861-65, the border struggle heated up as Kansans fended off Confederate attacks, welcomed the formerly enslaved into their communities, and engaged in bitter political debates. Men of all backgrounds-white, black, and Native American-served in uniform, while women managed farmsteads and formed societies to help the needy. This course will recreate the experiences of Kansans and their frontier communities during this pivotal period of state and national history and explain how the war changed Kansas.

Instructor Bio: Will Haynes has a doctorate in history from the University of Kansas. He plans, manages, and promotes public programming at the Watkins Museum of History, the headquarters of the Douglas County Historical Society.

June 29, 2022 to July 13, 2022, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online (Lawrence, KS)

Kansas: The Cradle of Basketball from James Naismith to Olympic Gold to Phog Allen (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

In the 1930s, graduating college athletes found the best basketball in the AAU Industrial Leagues, with the best teams found in Kansas. Learn how businesses sponsored basketball to market their products during the Great Depression. We'll highlight the McPherson Globe Refiners, a town team that introduced the dunk shot, originated the zone press, and won the first Gold Medal in basketball in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The course covers the first 50 years of basketball, focusing on Dr. James Naismith, the game's inventor, who mentored legendary coaches Phog Allen and John McLendon. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Rich Hughes received a bachelor's degree from KU and a master's in computer science from Kansas State University. Rich authored the book, "Netting Out Basketball, 1936", on the original dream team-the 1936 U.S. Olympics basketball team.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Key Issues in Today's World: Climate Change, Income Inequality, and Globalization - For residents only

Is climate change real? This year alone we have seen extreme floods, fires, droughts and hurricanes. During week one of this course, we will discuss causes and impacts of climate change and what we must do to save the planet. Week two will focus on income inequality delving into the multitude of policy changes that started in the 1980s that many believe stacked the deck against the poor; allowing the rich to become richer and the poor getting poorer. In the final session, we will examine the history of state owned and regulated companies, globalization, deregulation, automation, and nationalism looking at how each approach to business impacts employment and what the consumer pays for products and services.

Instructor Bio: Charles "Chick" Keller is a retired senior executive and retired professor. He worked 15 years at each Sprint, and Black and Veatch in strategic planning and strategic marketing raising to the VP level both times. In 2000 Chick began a career as a professor at the University of Kansas, Master of Engineering Management program where he taught Finance and Strategic Planning.

July 11-25, 2022, Claridge Court (Prairie Village, KS)

King Coal in Kansas

The course discusses the discovery of coal in southeast Kansas. We will follow the development of the Missouri River, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad ushering in sub-surface mining and the development of Crawford and Cherokee counties as the center of "King" Coal in Kansas. We will cover milestones including Pittsburg growing to over 50,000 residents, UMWA membership exceeding 16,000 and the development of Pittsburg as the world's zinc smelting capital, fueled by coal. We will explore the State's national leadership in strip mining and the rising of area tycoons such as Mackie, Clemmons and Spencer before the industry's death in the 1960s.

Instructor Bio: Ken Crockett was born in Pittsburg, Kansas in a second-generation family of coal miners. He was educated at Central Missouri State University (BA degree) and Washburn University of Law (Juris Doctor). He is the author of two books relative to Kansas mining (Missouri Coal Miners Strike and Kenneth and Helen Spencer, Champions of Culture & Commerce In The Sunflower State).

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Love's Labour's Lost: Shakespeare's Funniest Play (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

In this course, we will read and discuss Shakespeare's early comedy "Love's Labour's Lost." We will focus on the way the play is "funny," in every sense of the word. Its jokes run the range from complex theatrical jokes to fulsome wordplay. It delights and frustrates audiences. It is also "funny" in the sense that it is unusual, unexpected and a little odd. Together we will discuss what makes "Love's Labour's Lost" Shakespeare's most "Shakespearean" play. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Jonathan P. Lamb is Associate Professor of English at the University of Kansas, where he writes and teaches on Shakespeare, book history, computational text analysis, and more. He is currently working on a book called "How the World Became a Book in Shakespeare's England," and is editing a new edition of "Love's Labour's Lost."

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Making Sense of Modern Art

At the end of the 19th century, artists began to challenge the belief that art must realistically depict the world. We'll explore the streams of intellectual thought, the innovations in science and technology, and the cultures that gave birth to the three great modern art movements: Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism, and we'll see how the artists themselves were shaped by the eras in which they worked. Skeptics and enthusiasts alike will finally be able to "make sense of Modern Art."

Instructor Bio: Janice Stuerzl has a lifelong passion for art history. After retiring from a 20-year career in social work, she became a docent at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. She has contributed research on French decorative arts for interior design books and has been field editor for interior design articles in national magazines.

June 29, 2022 to July 13, 2022, KU Edwards Campus Regnier Hall and Online (Overland Park, KS)

Moral, Social and Political Pluralism in American Culture (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Freedom, trust, and democracy are proclaimed as sacred American ideals. Individual freedom can be understood as the right of each person to pursue his or her own moral choices. Trust can be widespread when social differences are respected. Democracy is a form of government that strives to provide peace and stability given our diverse moralities and our social divisions. While America has had historical deficiencies is achieving these ideals, our moral, social and political differences are increasingly portrayed as overwhelming. While there are no "right answers" to these issues, public discussions about them seem urgent. This class is limited to 15 to allow for a civil discussion and idea exchange. Concept and questions will be sent from the instructor to structure discussion on the issues presented by the instructor. A short bibliography of reading material relating to moral, social, and political pluralism will be made available. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Paul Schumaker, Ph.D is a retired University of Kansas political science professor. He has taught courses in American political history and democratic theory.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Mostly Forgotten Humorists of the 20th Century

Laugh out loud and join us as we explore the topic of humor. What makes someone funny one minute and not the next? In this class we will discuss the fate of many humorists, who were very popular while writing, but were ignored afterward. Some of the humorists we will study include: "New Yorker" writers (S.J. Perelman, James Thurber and Calvin Trillin) and newspaper columnists (Art Buchwald, Erma Bombeck, Russell Baker and Dave Barry). Why were they funny then but not so much now? Which one could be re-read with pleasure?

Instructor Bio: Karl Menninger recently retired from a legal career in federal and state government, mostly dealing with issues concerning persons with disabilities. He teaches courses on disabilities and the law and the insanity defense at the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law.

July 27, 2022 to August 10, 2022, Northland Innovation Center In-Person (Gladstone, MO)
July 28, 2022 to August 11, 2022, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online (Lawrence, KS)

Mountains of True Peace - a Guatemalan Journey

he author of the new book Mountains of True Peace shares the experience of a lifetime. KelLee spent three years right after college living and working in a remote village in the mountains of Guatemala as a volunteer agricultural missionary with Mennonite Central Committee. He will share the culture, food, and living conditions he experienced throughout his adventure with the K'ekchi' people. The presentation will also delve into the political situation of Guatemala in the 1950s through his time in Guatemala that have ramifications in our world today.

Instructor Bio: KelLee Parr holds bachelor's degrees in agriculture and education plus a master's degree in adult and occupational education from Kansas State University. He has taught elementary school many years in Topeka and now writes science curriculum for Nancy Larson Publishers.

July 18, 2022 to August 1, 2022, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online (Lawrence, KS)

Music and Lives of the Great Composers, Part I (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

In this course we will explore the music and lives of some of the great composers of classical music. We will track their careers from their early work, through influences that impacted their musical styles, to the late work that culminated their careers. Each class will explore one or two composers in detail, with many musical examples. Composers will range from Johann Sebastian Bach to Philip Glass and several in between. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Don Dagenais has been a preview speaker for the Lyric Opera for more than 20 years and he teaches classical music and opera courses for local organizations. He enjoys studying American political history and has compiled an extensive collection of memorabilia from presidential political campaigns from 1840 - the present. He recently retired as a real estate attorney.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Musical Theater Gets Serious: South Pacific (1949) and West Side Story (1957)

The American musical theater from 1900 into the 1930s was mostly a land of gags, light (often absurd) stories, shallow characters, songs, dances, and fun. The dramatic heft of the genre gradually deepened starting in the late 1920s with Show Boat (1927) and audience expectation for serious content became more pronounced through the Great Depression and World War II. This resulted in two shows in the postwar era that dealt bluntly with race and difficult problems like violence by teen gangs. This class will trace the movement towards more serious stories in the American musical theater, resulting in these two landmark shows.

Instructor Bio: Paul Laird is professor of musicology at the University of Kansas. He has published widely on musical history topics including four books on Leonard Bernstein. The most recent is the biography of Leonard Bernstein in the "Critical Lives" series from Reaktion Books (University of Chicago Press).

June 30, 2022 to July 14, 2022, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online (Lawrence, KS)

Never Forget: The Germans and the Holocaust

Seventy-seven years after the end of World War II, Germans are still grappling with their country's, and in many cases, their family's horrible legacy of the Nazis. We'll explore the concept of this collective guilt in three ways: the first session will provide a historical analysis of how the nation has attempted to cope with the guilt of causing the Holocaust. The second session will offer an artistic journey, discussing a multitude of Holocaust Memorials found in Berlin, and the third session will examine the individual guilt of one of the most notorious Nazis, Adolf Eichmann.

Instructor Bio: Anette Isaacs, M.A., a German historian, and public educator, has been presenting hundreds of programs on more than 30 different topics (all pertaining to her native country's history, politics, and culture). She holds master's degrees in American studies, political science, and history and is an adjunct faculty member at many OLLI Institutes.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Opening New Windows onto Lawrence History

The Watkins Museum of History invites you to explore their newly opened third-floor core exhibits about local history. Experience a wide range of eras and topics of Lawrence heritage, including business development, education, agriculture and Native American life through compelling artifacts, images, and computer interactives. This exclusive Osher program will include guided tours and a special presentation in J. B. Watkins personal office on the Bowersock Mills and Power Company, a Lawrence economic powerhouse for many decades. The event will conclude with lunch and a tour of new art on display in the museum's Community Room.

Friday, July 15

10 a.m. - Noon

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St., Lawrence

$45 fee includes tour and lunch.

Friday, July 15, 2022, Watkins Museum of History (Lawrence, KS)

Osher Institute Gift Certificate

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Kansas offers noncredit short courses and special events developed especially for folks over 50. Give the gift of learning through an Osher Gift Certificate which enables the recipient to attend one Osher course for free! Our courses are taught two hours each week for three weeks. To give someone an Osher Gift Certificate, please click the link below. If you have questions, please contact Linda Kehres at 785-864-1373 or linda.k@ku.edu.

April 11, 2022 to August 31, 2022

Presidential Assassins: Men and Women Driven to Kill

John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald are notorious for their assassinations, but who were Charles Guiteau and Leon Czolgosz, and why did they murder Presidents Garfield and McKinley? There have been 28 documented assassination attempts on 22 sitting or former presidents or presidents-elect. In Milwaukee, Teddy Roosevelt was shot in the chest, but finished his campaign speech. In Miami, Guiseppe Zangara fired five shots at FDR, but killed Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. And we'll discuss attempts to assassinate Presidents Obama and Trump. We'll uncover them all and closely examine the men...and women...who killed (or tried to kill) the president of the United States.

Instructor Bio: Jim Peters, J.D.,is the director emeritus of the Osher Institute at KU. He is a graduate ofSouthern Illinois University at Carbondale and the New England School of Law.He teaches courses on John Brown, the Underground Railroad, Arlington NationalCemetery, Harry Truman, Teddy Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, George WashingtonCarver, and Presidential Assassins, among others.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Presidents in Retirement: Extraordinary Lives (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

America's presidents lead extraordinary lives and make unique contributions to society. But the story doesn't end when their terms expire. Presidents have lived a combined 450 years after leaving the White House. Many go on to accomplish more than they did while in office. Jimmy Carter eradicated guinea worm disease, William Howard Taft became Chief Justice of the United States, and George Washington established one of the largest alcohol distilleries in the nation. This course will examine the lives of our former commanders in chief after public office, including their libraries and monuments, and often overlooked good deeds. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Tyler Habiger holds a bachelor's degree in American politics and theatre and a master's in human services from Drury University. He has served as a college instructor and is now happily employed at KU Endowment in Lawrence.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Religion in Colonial America (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Religion was not the primary reason for the settlement of the colonies, and none of the colonies was a theocracy. But it did influence the culture that developed, including gender, death ways, economics, relations between Native Americans and euro-colonists, the treatment of children, and the status of African Americans. We will start with a quick overview of Native American religious beliefs since they were the majority through the colonial period. Then will get to Separatists (Pilgrims), Puritans, Anglicans, Quakers, Presbyterians, Baptists, Anabaptists, Quietists, African American religious traditions, and the small beginnings of Judaism and Catholicism. We'll then hit higher education, the First Great Awakening, and the status of religion in the American Revolutionary period. This is NOT a live course. IT is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: James Showalter did seven years of historic preservation and 31 years of teaching History on the university level, including 30 years teaching American History at Langston University in Oklahoma. In addition to his university teaching, he has taught in the Oklahoma State University Osher course system for about nine years, covering a wide range of subjects. One of several areas of expertise he has developed is the History of Religion worldwide, and particularly the history of religion in the area that is now the United States. He now lives outside Strong City, Kansas, on the beautiful Flint Hills.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Rockne, Haskell and Mizzou: Memorable Kansas Sport History Reflections (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Join us as we discuss the iconic Notre Dame Coach Knute Rockne and explore his many Kansas connections to people and institutions. We'll also talk about his death in an airplane crash in the Flint Hills on March 31, 1931. Week two will be a study of the Glory Days of Haskell Athletics from 1900-1932. Reflections will be given on the founding of Haskell in 1884 and the growth of its football and track and field athletics programs. Haskell played the best teams in college football, such as Notre Dame and Minnesota, and had incredible success. Several of its track and field athletes competed in the Olympic Games. We'll wrap up class on week three with a lecture on the Border Showdown: Kansas vs. Missouri. This heated rivalry with its roots in the Civil War began in the late 1890s and continued until 2012 when Missouri left the Big 12 Conference for the Southeast Conference. Discussions will center on memorable games and outstanding players and coaches. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Bernie Kish has taught sport management classes at KU since 2005. One of the classes that he created and teaches is The History and Tradition of Kansas Athletics. He also authored the chapter on KU Athletics in the recently published book "Transforming the University of Kansas, A history, 1965-2015." Kish is a veteran of the US Army, serving on active duty for over 29 years and completing his service as a Full Colonel.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Six Drinks that Changed the World (Part I) (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Based in part on A History of The World in 6 Glasses, by Tom Standage, we'll travel the world in search of where humans first consumed beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and sodas, and then explore how, why and where they diffused from these hearths. Taught in two parts, the course emphasizes aspects of globalization from the Stone Age beer makers to the cola giants of the modern era. Historic themes include tea and the Opium Wars; spirits, sugar and the slave trade; and wine, Christianity and Islam. The course begins with the alcohol-related drinks: beer, wine and spirits. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of geography at Washburn University.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

Smartphone Filmmaking

With the help of an inexpensive app, we can shoot and edit film-quality videos with our smartphones, easily up to the standards of social media, commercial and brand video work, and documentary and narrative film work. Gain the control and capabilities of professional cinematographers and design the look, color, lighting and framing of every single shot in a smartphone film. This course is suitable for aspiring filmmakers, entrepreneurs, video storytellers, social media content creators and content producers. Note: Students will be required to purchase and install the Filmic Pro app on their phones. You can purchase it directly through your mobile device or on your home computer, through either the Google Play Store (Android) or through the App Store (iPhone).

Instructor: Stephen Knifton is an Emmy-award winning TV news producer, credited for creating and producing engaging and highly rated news programming. Steve moved onto the digital content world and created work for museums, engineers, architects, designers, hospitality + tourism and business development clients. For the past few years, Steve has (remotely) taught video storytelling and smartphone filmmaking at a number of colleges. Steve lived and worked in both New York and Toronto and teaches in both Canada and the U.S.

July 28, 2022 to August 11, 2022, Zoom Facilitated Sessions (Online, WEB)

Spirit of the Mask: Works of Mystery and Beauty

Masks are much more than just disguises-they can transform a person's face into a new powerful spirit. For thousands of years, people have created masks as a means of expression. They are treasured worldwide for their historical and cultural significance, teaching us how cultures deal with their lives and their environments. Masks are attributed to folklore, chiefs, shamans and religious leaders. They play a role in dance forms and storytelling and are used in agriculture, carnivals, celebrations, dance, death, fertility, hunting, initiation, midwinter observances, religion and theater.

Instructor Bio: Carla Hanson, a K-State University music graduate, is curator of "Spirit of the Mask," a traveling mask exhibit. Her collection, representing more than 45 countries, numbers in the hundreds. She is currently studying with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts adding music and dance to her presentation.

July 19, 2022 to August 2, 2022, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online (Lawrence, KS)

Sympathy for the Devil's Music: A Story about Rock 'n' Roll Continues

Rock 'n' Roll didn't die in 1959 (whew!), but rockers were exploring new avenues of expression as well as new markets. The songs of Jerry Lee, Fats, Chuck, Buddy and Richard were now honored "oldies," and "Rock" was firmly established as the official teenage soundtrack. Rock 'n' Roll morphed into new forms of what would now be called Rock music. These would include Motown, with its girl and guy groups; Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound;" surf music; "authentic" folk music; soul; folk rock; blues by Brits; and re-energized pop music. We will consider the first half of the 1960s music scene as a transitional time until the next Elvis appeared as Mop Tops bringing the First British Invasion to America. Join our conversation about how Rock adapted to changing times.

Instructor Bio: Steve Lopes, AE, BA, MA, M Ed, was an educator for 15 years prior to 30 years of advocating for teachers as a Kansas-NEA organizer. He enjoys researching Rock 'n' Roll history and sharing it with Osher participants.

June 28, 2022 to July 12, 2022, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online (Lawrence, KS)

The 1950s: A Decade of Prosperity and Change

The decade following World War II was a period of American prosperity, technological advances, and tranquility. First, we'll focus on America's leadership of the free world as we witnessed the movement of the middle class to the suburbs, the birth of rock and roll and television, the space race, and a baby boom. Next, we'll examine the rebuilding of Europe and the continent's division into two spheres of influence-the free West and the Soviet-dominated East. Finally, we'll review the end of colonialism in the Far East, the polio epidemic, hot rods, drive-in movie theaters, and the great toys we enjoyed.

Instructor Bio: Robert Smith, PhD, is the Director of the Fort Riley Museum. He has a doctorate in history from KSU and has published numerous articles on military history.

This course contains no sessions

The Battle of the Bulge: Germany's Last Blitzkrieg, December 1944 (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Marking the 75th anniversary of the 1944 Ardennes counter-offensive, commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge, we'll examine one of history's most well-known battles. Fought in the rugged Ardennes forest of Belgium in the dead of winter, this epic struggle marked Nazi Germany's last offensive to split the Anglo-British alliance and compel a negotiated peace. Surprising American troops by attacking in a seemingly quiet sector, the battle became one of the largest campaigns in U.S. Army history. This course examines the campaign from the political decision-makers in Washington, London and Berlin to the experiences and the harsh conditions of the individual soldiers and Belgian civilians. This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Mark Gerges, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

The Roaring Twenties

Many scholars believe modern America was born in the 1920s. This raucous era brought us modern advertising, supermarkets, buying on credit, commercial radio and flight, culture wars, short skirts, fads, voter apathy-even television. Dramatic technological and social changes clashed with conservative values. Prosperity and mass media expanded their reach to more Americans than ever before, but this was also the "Aspirin Age"-a time of anxiety about health, public morals, crime, terrorism, corruption and race relations. This course will delve into the people and events that set the United States on a new path and continue to shape us.

July 14-28, 2022, Village Shalom (Overland Park, KS)

The Roaring Twenties - Village Shalom Residents

Instructor Bio: Will Hickox has a doctorate in history from the University of Kansas. He plans, manages, and promotes public programming at the Watkins Museum of History, the headquarters of the Douglas County Historical Society.

July 14-28, 2022, Village Shalom (Overland Park, KS)

The Story of Photojournalism (Pre-Recorded Course)

This is a pre-recorded course. You will receive three links that you will use to access the pre-recorded material.

Photojournalism - the marriage of pictures and text to tell a factual story - dates to the 1850s. Advancing technology fed the public's demand to see the news, not just read about it. Life magazine, competing newspapers, and the "photo essay" spurred a "Golden Age" of iconic images and celebrated photographers. This course covers the intriguing history - and uncertain future - of photojournalism, touching on equipment but emphasizing great pictures and the people who made them (including Kansans Jim Richardson, Gordon Parks and Brian Lanker). This is NOT a live course. It is pre-recorded.

Instructor Bio: Kevin Boatwright is emeritus director of external affairs in the KU Office of Research. He has a bachelor's degree in English and master's degrees in journalism, history and higher education administration. He studied Canadian history at the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Manitoba, and is a past president of the Midwest Association for Canadian Studies.

June 6, 2022 to August 1, 2022

The String Quartet (part 1): The Birth and Evolution of the String Quartet

From its birth during the early years of the classical era to the present day, the string quartet has never left the concert hall. Having emerged from the Italian sinfonia, sonata a quattro and divertimento, the string quartet has been developed by Joseph Haydn and perfected by Ludwig van Beethoven. This course will trace the origins of the string quartet until the romantic period, and survey some of the key works that brought the genre to a perfect synthesis of string writing. We'll discuss composers Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven among others.

Instructor Bio: V�ronique Mathieu is an Associate Professor of violin and the David L. Kaplan chair in music at the University of Saskatchewan and the artistic director and co-founder of NAVO. She holds a Doctor of Music degree in violin performance with a minor in musicology from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music and was previously on faculty at KU and SUNY Buffalo.

July 27, 2022 to August 10, 2022, Zoom Facilitated Sessions (Online, WEB)

The Wisdom of Solomon Beyond Proverbs

Solomon, one of the wisest men in history and contributor to the Old Testament book of Proverbs, shifted his perspective as he aged. In Ecclesiastes he discusses his mortality and shares his wisdom with a reality-adjusted end-of-life philosophy. A second book, the epic poem Song of Solomon is arguably one of the most beautiful love poems as two lovers profess their love for one another throughout some ups and downs. We will read Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon in a new, modern English translation of the original Hebrew, and discuss Solomon's wisdom as it still applies for us today.

Instructor Bio: Paul Williamson, M.D., is a KU alumnus and retired physician who taught medicine at KUMC and Biblical Studies at Oklahoma City University. His background includes Protestant seminary, Jewish courses, and Biblical languages study at the Catholic University of America through the doctoral level. His interest in the Hebrew Bible includes updating English translations from the original Hebrew.

July 27, 2022 to August 10, 2022, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online (Lawrence, KS)

Three Incredible American Military Campaigns

Military history throughout the ages witnessed many brilliant campaigns planned by excellent military strategists. America too, has its share of brilliant campaigns and incredible victories. This class, "Three Incredible Military Campaigns," focuses on a trio of American military campaigns from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The first class examines the Revolutionary War campaign conducted by the brilliant Nathanael Greene who lost every battle but was successful in driving the British out of the southern colonies. The second class looks at Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's 1862 Shenandoah Campaign. Jackson, while campaigning with less than 18,000 troops, was successful in defeating more than 70,000 Federal forces in a mere two months. The final class will focus on the largest American operation of World War I, the Meuse Argonne Campaign. General John J. Pershing's 1st and 2nd American Armies clashed with the Imperial German Army on a 35-mile-long fortified front defeating the enemy, which contributed to the end of the 1st World War.

Instructor Bio: Robert Smith, PhD, is the Director of the Fort Riley Museum. He has a doctorate in history from KSU, and has published numerous articles on military history.

June 28, 2022 to July 12, 2022, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online (Lawrence, KS)

Tracing William Quantrill, John Brown, and the Underground Railroad in Douglas County

Join us as we tour Douglas County's Bleeding Kansas and Civil War sites and hear narratives surrounding William Quantrill, John Brown, and the Underground Railroad. We'll begin with a preview at the Carnegie Building, then once on the bus, military historian Randy Mullis will highlight critical sites along the route taken by Quantrill and his raiders, including the Riggs House and the Miller House. While traveling, Osher instructor Jim Peters will spotlight locations along the Underground Railroad and locales associated with John Brown, including the Battle of Black Jack. We'll end with a box lunch and a Q&A session at the Carnegie Building.

Friday, July 8

Coach departs St. Andrews office at 8 a.m. and returns by 2 p.m.

$70 fee includes charter coach transportation, tour, and lunch.

Friday, July 8, 2022

Travel to Hawaii - Online only

This course is now online only. We will begin with the history of Hawaii from its Polynesian roots as far back as the 8th century. Westerners came to Hawaii for the first time a thousand years later in the 18th century. On January 18, 1778, Captain James Cook went ashore at Waimea on Kauai. He called his new discovery the Sandwich Islands, after the First Lord of the Admiralty. We will explore some of the first kings and queens of Hawaii and how Hawaii evolved to a U.S. Territory and then statehood in 1959. We will look at Oahu's past and present the highlights of things to see and do on this island, including Pearl Harbor and the changes there for touring the last few years. We will focus on Honolulu, the state capital. We'll then delve into the islands of Maui and Kauai and if there is time, Molokai and Lanai. Lastly, we discuss the Big Island, Hawaii. Since all the other islands would fit in the Big Island, there is much to talk about from history to places to see and many activities unique to this island. Volcano National Park will be highlighted.

Instructor Bio: Georgia Klein is a retired secondary educator from the Shawnee Mission School District. She has been to Europe 26 times and has presented workshops on travel to other continents. She has also been a guide for Road Scholars on a walking tour of the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, MO.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Valley of the Kings, Queens, and Monkeys

A follow-up to Tales of the Nile, this course will look at the extraordinary concentration of temples and tombs near the ancient Egyptian capital, Thebes, with particular focus on the tombs in and around the Valley of Kings. Although Tutankhamen is the most famous king to be buried there, dozens of other tombs once contained mummies of far more consequential pharaohs. Who were these kings and queens? How were their tombs discovered, and what happened to their mummies? We'll follow the saga of discovery and exploration of this remarkable valley.

Instructor Bio: David Mannering earned a doctorate in higher education administration from KU. He recently retired from a 40-year career in information technology, including 15 years as a chief information officer. He has taught management information systems courses and computer programming.

July 19, 2022 to August 2, 2022, Zoom Facilitated Sessions (Online, WEB)

What Really Happened? Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, KS - Revisiting the Evidence

Join James C. 'Chris' Edwards as he discusses and reads from his new book, "What Really Happened? Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, KS; Revisiting the Evidence." He will provide firsthand survivor accounts of Quantrill's raid that are at odds with each other. Topics include access to weapons, fortifications, troop strength, town preparedness, and conspiracy theories. The class juxtaposes popular survivor testimony of the attack with conflicting accounts from other witnesses.

Chris Edwards earned his master's degree in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia where his focus of study was the Border War between Missouri and Kansas (1854-1865).

Monday, June 27

6:30-8 p.m.

Osher Institute 1515 St. Andrews Dr., Lawrence

$25 fee includes talk and reception.

Monday, June 27, 2022, Osher Institute In-Person (Lawrence, KS)

Why Are We Here? A Very Brief Introduction to Philosophy

We humans have often wondered about the nature of the universe and our place in it. Religion, philosophy, art, and science have emerged from this wondering. Human wonder can be summed up in the question, why are we here? The ambiguous meaning of that question suggests most questions that philosophy has attempted to answer. We'll explore rational attempts to arrive at satisfactory answers to questions such as Where did everything come from? What does it all mean? What are we? What is our purpose? How can we live a good life? and how can we know the truth about it all?

Instructor Bio: James Gaither, Th.D., holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Kansas and Th.D. from Holos University Graduate Seminary. For over 25 years he has taught courses in history of Western thought, world religions, metaphysics, and ethics and is currently a "semi-retired.

July 18, 2022 to August 1, 2022, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online (Lawrence, KS)

Women, the Forgotten "Men" in History

Many individuals contribute to history but never get their due. Women and other marginalized groups traditionally received less ink in history books than the "great men" of history who were mainly white males. This course looks at nine women, three each session, whose achievements are not commonly known. Among the nine women are a scientist, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, a pioneering woman pilot, a suffragist, a candidate for the U.S. presidency, an activist for women's and African American's rights, a British anthropologist and a pioneering woman politician from the western U.S.

Instructor Bio: Diana Carlin, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of Communication at Saint Louis University and a retired professor of Communication Studies at KU. She has co-authored a book on gender and politics and taught courses on women as political leaders, the rhetoric of women's rights and communication and gender.

June 14-28, 2022, Brewster Place (Topeka, KS)

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