Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Osher Courses
Courses & Events
Osher Membership Fee
July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024
An Insider's Guide to the Federal Reserve
Instructor Bio: Gordon Sellon is an economist who spent thirty years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, retiring as Senior Vice President and Director of Research. He also taught economics at KU, the University of Michigan, Grinnell College, and Oklahoma City University. He has degrees in economics from Harvard College and the University of Michigan.
This course contains no sessions
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Beyond D-Day - U.S. Soldiers in Devonshire, England
Instructor Bio: Rebecca Powell, Ph.D. (University of Bristol, England), has spent 25+ in research & support of highly mobile and multicultural populations. A native Virginian, her adulthood has been in 13 homes (4 States and 4 countries). Recently transplanted to Fort Leavenworth, she enjoys the Kansas climate, community, and culture.
This course contains no sessions
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Brown v. Board of Education
Instructor Bio: Russ Hutchins teaches U.S. history, Western civilization, economics, business, philosophy, and business management at Friends University. He is a retired public-school administrator and educator.
April 29, 2024 to May 13, 2024, Zoom Facilitated Sessions
Decades of the Dictators: The '20s and '30s
Instructor Bio: Vincent Clark holds a doctorate in modern European history. His graduate work included a Fulbright Graduate Fellowship at Germany's University of Heidelberg. He was history professor and chair of the history department at Johnson County Community College and has published articles and books in his field.
March 18, 2024 to April 1, 2024, KU Edwards Campus, 163 Regnier Hall, In Person and Online
Donation to the Osher Institute
July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024
Exploration Time: Discover the Thirteen United States Presidential Libraries and Museums
Instructor Bio: Attorney Anita Tebbe is a retired a professor of legal studies at Johnson County Community College.
March 20, 2024 to April 3, 2024, Lawrence Presyterian Manor - In Person
Exploration Time: Discover the Thirteen United States Presidential Libraries and Museums - Lawrence Presbyterian Manor Residents
Instructor Bio: Attorney Anita Tebbe is a retired a professor of legal studies at Johnson County Community College.
March 20, 2024 to April 3, 2024, Lawrence Presyterian Manor - In Person
Exploring Reality Beyond Physics - Great Western Philosophers
Instructor Bio: James Gaither, Th.D., holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Kansas and ThD 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."
April 11-25, 2024, Eudora Community Museum In Person
Exploring the Works of Governors Sam Crawford and Arthur Capper
Instructor Bio: Deb Goodrich, the host of the TV show "Around Kansas," and the Garvey (Texas) Foundation Historian in Residence at the Fort Wallace Museum, chairs the Santa Fe Trail 200. She has appeared in many documentaries including "The Road to Valhalla," "Aftershock," and "American Experience" on Jesse James, and the series, "Gunslingers" on AHC. She wrote and produced the docudrama, "Thof's Dragon."
April 8-22, 2024, Zoom Facilitated Sessions
Franz Kafka: Life and Works
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.
April 9-23, 2024, Zoom Facilitated Sessions
From Trails to Rails: the Historical Geography of Urbanization in Kansas
Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of geography at Washburn University.
April 10-24, 2024, Northland Innovation Center In-Person
From Trails to Rails: the Historical Geography of Urbanization in Kansas - Clay County Residents
Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of geography at Washburn University.
April 10-24, 2024, Northland Innovation Center In-Person
Gift Certificate
July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024
Great Women Composers
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 to the present. He recently retired as a real estate attorney.
This course contains no sessions
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Great Women Composers - Village Shalom Residents
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 to the present. He recently retired as a real estate attorney.
This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.
Historical Movies, How Accurate Are They?
Instructor Bio: Robert Smith, Ph.D., is the director of the Fort Riley Museum. He has a doctorate in history from KSU and has published numerous articles on military history.
April 8-22, 2024, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility, In Person and Online
Kansans and the Experience of Civil War, 1861-65
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.
April 8-22, 2024, Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center - In Person
Legendary Foods of Europe: Italy: Unified Country, Regional Tastes
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.
March 21, 2024 to April 4, 2024, Zoom Facilitated Sessions
Lessons and Legacies: What the Preservation of Historic Kansas Landmarks Teaches Us
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 Shawnee County Historical Society and an amateur beekeeper. 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.
March 19, 2024 to April 2, 2024, McCrite Plaza Topeka - In Person
Lessons and Legacies: What the Preservation of Historic Kansas Landmarks Teaches Us - McCrite Topeka Residents
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 Shawnee County Historical Society and an amateur beekeeper. 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.
March 19, 2024 to April 2, 2024, McCrite Plaza Topeka - In Person
Lowlands, Highlands, Islands and a Wee Dram: the Geography of Scotland
This course explores several aspects of Scotland's physical and human geography. It is roughly divided into sections on its astounding physiography, Precambrian geology and natural resources, followed by contributions of key ethnic groups (Picts, Scots and Norse) to its cultural history. We'll discuss "the true inventors of the social sciences," Adam Smith, James Watt, David Hume, James Hutton and Sir Walter Scott. We'll also compare two great cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with quite different origins and cultural characters. Finally, we'll explore the country's (is it a country?) dynamic political geography, including political parties and the highly charged, contentious issue of independence.
Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of geography at Washburn University.
March 21, 2024 to April 4, 2024, KU Edwards Campus, 163 Regnier Hall, In Person and Online
North American Nature Wars Human Conflicts with Wildlife, Vegetation and Water
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 KU. His personal interests have always been his native state and its history.
April 10-24, 2024, Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging In Person
On the Road: Highways, Cars, and Vacations of a Bygone Era
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.
March 18, 2024 to April 1, 2024, Osher Institute In-Person
Quick and Easy Content: Anyone Can Create Anything
Instructor Bio: Stephen Knifton is an Emmy-winning TV news producer, creating and producing engaging and highly rated news programming. Steve also created work for museums, engineers, architects, designers, hospitality + tourism, and business development clients. He has taught (remotely) video storytelling and smartphone filmmaking at several colleges and has lived and worked in New York and Toronto, distance-teaching in Canada and the U.S.
April 29, 2024 to May 13, 2024, Zoom Facilitated Sessions
Russian Ukraine War Lessons Learned
Instructor Bio: Randy Mullis, Ph.D., is professor of military history at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Professor Mullis holds a doctorate in history from the University of Kansas. His major fields include the history of the United States and military history and indigenous nations studies. He is the author of Peacekeeping on the Plains: Army Operations in Bleeding Kansas.
March 21, 2024 to April 4, 2024, Zoom Facilitated Sessions
Significant United States First Ladies of the Modern Era
Instructor Bio: Anita Tebbe is a retired professor of the Legal Studies Department at Johnson County Community College. She earned an undergraduate degree in history, a graduate degree in education and a juris doctor degree in law. Anita is a Kansas licensed attorney and has more than 40 years at the high school and college levels.
This course contains no sessions
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Significant United States First Ladies of the Modern Era - McCrite Briarcliff Residents
Instructor Bio: Anita Tebbe is a retired professor of the Legal Studies Department at Johnson County Community College. She earned an undergraduate degree in history, a graduate degree in education and a juris doctor degree in law. Anita is a Kansas licensed attorney and has more than 40 years at the high school and college levels.
This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.
Summers of Love: 1967-69, Monterey, Woodstock, Altamont (formerly Woodstock at 50)
Instructor Bio: Steve Lopes, A.E., B.A., M.A., 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.
April 9-23, 2024, Tallgrass Creek Retirement Community In Person
Summers of Love: 1967-69, Monterey, Woodstock, Altamont (formerly Woodstock at 50) - Tallgrass Residents
Instructor Bio: Steve Lopes, A.E., B.A., M.A., 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.
April 9-23, 2024, Tallgrass Creek Retirement Community In Person
The 1930s, Depression, and Change
Instructor Bio: James Showalterhas seven years of experience with historic preservation and 31 years of teaching history at the university level. 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.
April 11-25, 2024, Zoom Facilitated Sessions
The American Revolution
Instructor Bio: Vincent Clark holds a doctorate in modern European history. His graduate work included a Fulbright Graduate Fellowship at Germany's University of Heidelberg. He was history professor and chair of the history department at Johnson County Community College and has published articles and books in his field.
April 11-25, 2024, Roeland Park Community Center In Person
The Archaeology of Our Solar System: Space Heritage Preservation and the New Space Race
Instructor Bio: Justin A. Holcomb is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas. Working with the Odyssey Archaeological Research Program, he studies the geoarchaeology of human dispersals into new landscapes, including the initial peopling of the Americas, the Aegean Basin, our solar system.
This course contains no sessions
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The Beatles Studio Years
Instructor Bio: Steve Lopes, A.E., B.A., M.A., 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.
March 19, 2024 to April 2, 2024, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility, In Person and Online
The Bill of Rights
Instructor Bio: Shari Tarbet has been an educator for over 30 years, she holds an MA/ PhD in Mythological Studies and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, and a BSE English/History Education, and BSJ Broadcast Journalism from Kansas University. Her writings and lectures cover a wide variety of topics on myth, dreamwork, the Bill of Rights, and the Sacred Feminine.
April 10-24, 2024, Zoom Facilitated Sessions
The Dance of The Superpowers
Instructor Bio Charles "Chick" Keller is a retired senior executive and retired professor. He worked 15 years each at Sprint, and Black and Veatch in strategic planning and strategic marketing rising to VP level both times. In 2000, he began a career as a professor in KU's engineering management program where he taught finance and strategic planning.
This course contains no sessions
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The History of Aviation in Kansas
Instructor Bio: Michael Wallace is an internationally recognized authority on Leadership & Business Development with 35 years in Aerospace. During his 26 years with Boeing, Wallace led the design and implementation of advanced technologies, including Artificial Intelligence. Since retiring, Wallace is a frequent lecturer and keynote presenter on all areas of business management. He has an MBA from Wichita State University and a BS in Mathematics from the University of Kansas.
This course contains no sessions
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The Magnificent Carillons of North America, Featuring the KU Memorial Campanile, and Carillon
Instructor Bio: Jean Hein recently moved to Kansas from South Carolina, where she was director and recorder performer with Columbia Baroque as well as a clarinetist. She currently teaches online recorder classes for seniors. Hein has served on the Board of Early Music America. She holds music degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University.
Thursday, April 11, 2024, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility, In Person and Online
The Navel of the Earth
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.
March 19, 2024 to April 2, 2024, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility, In Person and Online
The Norse Sagas
Instructor Bio: Vic Peterson is the author of The Berserkers (Hawkwood 2022/Recital 2023), set in a fictional Nordic country. He worked as a business executive and now divides his time between Lawrence, Kansas, and Northport, Michigan.
March 20, 2024 to April 3, 2024, KU Edwards Campus, 163 Regnier Hall, In Person and Online
The Small Town in Kansas: The Interminable Struggle for Survival
Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of geography at Washburn University.
April 29, 2024 to May 13, 2024, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility, In Person and Online
The Small Town in Kansas: The Interminable Struggle for Survival - Brewster Place Residents
Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of geography at Washburn University.
This course contains no sessions
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The Spencers of Kansas: Champions of Culture and Commerce
Instructor Bio: Ken Crockett was born into 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).
April 10-24, 2024, Claridge Court In Person
The Spencers of Kansas: Champions of Culture and Commerce - Claridge Court Residents
Instructor Bio: Ken Crockett was born into 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).
April 10-24, 2024, Claridge Court In Person
The Willows Maternity Sanitarium, Kansas City and America's Unwed Mothers
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.
March 19, 2024 to April 2, 2024, Northland Innovation Center In-Person
The Willows Maternity Sanitarium, Kansas City, and America's Unwed Mothers - Clay County Residents
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.
March 19, 2024 to April 2, 2024, Northland Innovation Center In-Person
Triumvirate of Darkness: Hitler, Eichmann, and Goebbels Unveiled
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
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Turning Points in Military History
Instructor Bio: Dave Cotter is the director of the Department of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He was previously a member of the Department of History at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. He has master's degrees in History from UMASS and the U.S. Naval War College, and a master's and doctorate in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Gratz College. Dave is a retired military officer of 32 years' experience including multiple combat deployments and command at battery, battalion, and brigade levels.
April 11-25, 2024, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility, In Person and Online
United States Vice President: Insignificant Position or Second Most Powerful Office?
Instructor Bio: Anita Tebbe is a retired professor of the Legal Studies Department at Johnson County Community College. She earned an undergraduate degree in history, a graduate degree in education and a juris doctor degree in law. Anita is a Kansas licensed attorney and has more than 40 years at the high school and college levels.
April 9-23, 2024, Brewster Place Event Center In-Person
United States Vice President: Insignificant Position or Second Most Powerful Office? - Brewster Place Residents
Instructor Bio: Anita Tebbe is a retired professor of the Legal Studies Department at Johnson County Community College. She earned an undergraduate degree in history, a graduate degree in education and a juris doctor degree in law. Anita is a Kansas licensed attorney and has more than 40 years at the high school and college levels.
April 9-23, 2024, Brewster Place Event Center In-Person
Using Art to Interpret History
Instructor Bio: Deb Goodrich, the host of the TV show "Around Kansas," and the Garvey (Texas) Foundation Historian in Residence at the Fort Wallace Museum, chairs the Santa Fe Trail 200. She has appeared in many documentaries including "The Road to Valhalla," "Aftershock," and "American Experience" on Jesse James, and the series, "Gunslingers" on AHC. She wrote and produced the docudrama, "Thof's Dragon."
This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.
Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself"
Instructor Bio: Max Westler earned his Bachelor of Arts from Boston University and his doctorate from Columbia University, where he worked with the poet Kenneth Koch. He has taught at Columbia College, Hunter College, and Northwestern University, where he taught both graduate and undergraduate courses. For thirty-eight years, he supervised the Creative Writing Program at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. His poems have appeared in The Minnesota Review, Poetry East, The Sycamore Review, Artful Dodge, The Greensboro Review, Religion and Literature, among others. His chapbook Civil Defense was published in 2011.
March 18, 2024 to April 1, 2024, Senior Resource Center for Douglas County In-Person
World War II in the Pacific
Instructor Bio: Robert Smith, Ph.D., is the director of the Fort Riley Museum. He has a doctorate in history from KSU and has published numerous articles on military history.
March 20, 2024 to April 3, 2024, Washburn University, Henderson Learning Center, In Person and Online