Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Courses

History

Courses & Events

Beyond the Trenches: World War I Fronts in Italy, Eastern Europe, Turkey and Africa

You may be familiar with the World War I battles on the Western Front, where France and Great Britain (and later the U.S.) fought Germany in the trenches. But there was a reason it was called a World War. We will explore battles that were fought on other fronts, involving Russia, the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary and African colonies. We'll also discuss the Polar Bear Expedition: What were U.S. troops doing in Siberia? Instructor Bio: Karl Menninger is a retired government lawyer who has found an avocation teaching courses on disability law, citizenship, comedy and James Bond, among other topics.

November 10, 2026 to December 1, 2026, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online

Faces of the Third Reich: Soldiers, Women and the Dictator Himself

Explore the human dimension of Nazi Germany through the stories of those who lived, shaped and were shaped by this totalitarian system. Historian Anette Isaacs illuminates the complexities of ideology, power and personal choices through exploration of the following topics: Hitler's soldiers in America, the hidden history of German POWs; the anatomy of a dictator, the private life, illnesses and early years of Adolf Hitler; and the women of the Third Reich.Instructor Bio: German born and raised, Anette Isaacs is a historian and public educator who has presented hundreds of programs on more than 40 topics (all pertaining to her native country's history, politics and culture) all over the United States. She holds master's degrees in American studies, political science and history, and recently served as the director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida International University in Miami.

November 10-24, 2026, Online

Frederick Douglass: From Enslaved Man to Statesman

Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping enslavement in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York. We'll explore his life in enslavement, 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 bachelor's degree in history from Kansas State University and a law degree in 1974 from the University of Kansas Law School. Now retired from practicing 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 Duke Ellington.


November 6-20, 2026, Maple Woods Community College Campus Center Building Classroom 103

Geography of the British Northern Isles: Orkney, Shetland & Outer Hebrides

Have you ever wanted to play the game of Ba', walk the Ring of Broghdar, sit in a Black House, smell a peat fire, speak Orcadian or sail Scapa Flow? If the answer is yes, come aboard the ferry departing from the Scottish mainland on Nov. 3 for Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. We will explore the physical, economic and cultural geography of these fantastic islands. After an introduction to the geography of Highland Scotland, we will discuss topics such as archaeology (why Orkney is the "Egypt of the North"), land tenure (clans, crofts and clearances), ecology (the machair) and economies (sheep and oil) of each of the three island groups. Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of geography at Washburn University.

November 3-17, 2026, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online

"Hamilton" and the Last Two Decades on Broadway

"Hamilton" (2015) by Lin-Manuel Miranda is remarkable for its score, statement about race, appeal to people from both sides of the political spectrum, and its ability to tell us about history and how we perceive it. We'll explore "Hamilton" and discuss other recent Broadway shows, including "Wicked," "Come from Away" and "Dear Evan Hansen." Instructor Bio: Paul Laird is professor emeritus of musicology who taught at the University of Kansas for 30 years. He is has published widely on the American musical theater and taught dozens of Osher courses over the last three decades.

December 1-15, 2026, Tallgrass Creek Retirement Community In Person

Madeleine Albright: Her Personal and Professional Lives

Madeleine Albright blazed a path as a career diplomat. Over three weeks, we'll delve into Albright's personal life, from her 1937 birth in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to living in Great Britain during World War II and relocating to the United States afterward. We'll track her diplomatic rise, culminating in serving as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. Secretary of State. Lastly, we'll scrutinize Albright's unique diplomatic tactic of using jewelry to convey messages - either subtly or explicitly. We'll look at one of the 200 brooches she wore to important meetings. Instructor Bio: Anita Tebbe is a retired professor in the legal studies department at Johnson County Community College. She earned an undergraduate degree in history, a graduate degree in education and a law degree. Anita is a Kansas-licensed attorney and has more than 40 years of teaching experience at the high school and college levels.

November 6-20, 2026, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online

Significant United States First Ladies of the Modern Era

We will look at eight U.S. first ladies who lived in the 20th and 21st centuries. They are not as well-known as some of the other first ladies, but they made impressive contributions to the United States. We will study Lou Hoover, Bess Truman, Mamie Eisenhower, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Rosalynn Carter, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush. Instructor Bio: Anita Tebbe is a retired professor in the legal studies department at Johnson County Community College. She earned an undergraduate degree in history, a graduate degree in education and a degree in law. Anita is a Kansas-licensed attorney and has more than 40 years of teaching experience at the high school and college levels.

November 17, 2026 to December 1, 2026, Santa Marta Retirement Community

The American Civil War West of the Mississippi: 1861-1865

Most histories of the American Civil War concentrate primarily on the campaigns and battles that took place east of the Mississippi. However, the Civil War raged on in the states located west of the Mississippi such as Arkansas, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and in the New Mexico and Oklahoma territories. This class will focus on those lesser-known campaigns and battles that were nonetheless critical to the preservation of the Union and the eventual defeat of the Confederacy. Instructor Bio: Robert Smith, Ph.D., is the recently retired director of the Fort Riley Museum. He has a doctorate in history from Kansas State University and has published numerous articles on military history.

November 12, 2026 to December 3, 2026, Brewster Place Cultural Arts Center

The JFK Assassination: 63 Years Later

Let's jump into the political and social climate of the early 1960s and the circumstances involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. Over three weeks we'll consider the major theories as to who was likely behind the assassination. You'll see numerous photographs which were not available to the public in 1963 during the course, too. We'll conclude with an in-depth examination of an eyewitness - who was ignored by the federal government - who observed a man shoot at the president from behind a picket fence. Instructor Bio: Brian Edwards has researched the Kennedy assassination for five decades. He has interviewed hundreds of individuals connected with the case and has given numerous presentations on the assassination throughout the United States. Brian co-authored three books on the assassination: "Beyond the Fence Line: The Eyewitness Account of Ed Hoffman and the Murder of President John Kennedy" (2008), "Blueprint for Murder" (2020) and "Admitted Assassin" (2024). In 2019, he collaborated with and appeared in Oliver Stone's four-hour documentary on the assassination, "JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass."

October 13-27, 2026, Santa Marta Retirement Community

The Reformations of Europe From 1350-1661

The reformations of Europe are among the most turbulent, fascinating and impactful events in Western history. Rather than a single event, they represent a series of movements occurring at different times and places. This course will explore key moments and ideas in these reformations, starting with the proto-reformers John Wycliffeand Jan Hus. We will then discuss the reformations led by Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli, followed by the Catholic Church's response, known as the Catholic Reformation. Finally, we will examine the tumultuous English Reformation in a more case-study approach. Along the way, we will attempt to uncover how these watershed moments in history affected the lives of everyday people. Instructor Bio: Cameron C. Engelbrecht holds a master's degree in early modern history from Trinity College Dublin and a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Central Missouri. He currently serves as director of faith formation at two Catholic churches in the Kansas City area and lives in Independence, Missouri, with his wife and daughter.

November 30, 2026 to December 14, 2026, Online

The Russian Revolution

This class will explore the historical circumstances leading to the tumultuous decline and fall of the Tsarist Regime, and the eventual seizure of the Russian government by the Bolsheviks under Vladmir Lenin. Situating the revolution in historical context, classes will explore the politics and circumstances of the Russian state, the revolutionary ideas of Lenin, and finally, how the first communist state emerged amidst a world in conflict. Instructor Bio: Aaron Margolis received his doctorate in history from the University of Texas at El Paso where he concentrated on Latin American and borderlands history. He is currently an associate professor of history at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

November 5-19, 2026, KU Edwards Campus, Regnier Hall & Online

Thomas Edison: An American Genius

How did a boy from a small town in Ohio, having very little formal education and attending school for only a few months, become the most prolific inventor of the 19th and early 20th centuries? We'll seek the answer to this question and study the impact that this genius continues to exert on our lives today. Instructor Bio: Paul Post, a native Kansan, received a bachelor's degree in history from Kansas State University and a law degree in 1974 from the University of Kansas. Now retired from practicing 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 Duke Ellington.

October 13-27, 2026, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility In Person
December 1-15, 2026, KU Edwards Campus, Regnier Hall & Online

The Willows Maternity Sanitarium and Kansas City: The Adoption Hub of America


This course will share the reunion of a mother and daughter 66 years after being separated at birth at The Willows Maternity Sanitarium. We will delve into the history of The Willows and dozens of other maternity homes that brought more than 100,000 young women shrouded in secrecy to Kansas City.


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 for many years in Topeka and now writes science curriculum for Nancy Larson Publishers.


October 15-29, 2026, Lawrence Presbyterian Manor - In Person

Summers of Love: 1967 - 1969, Monterey, Woodstock, Altamont

Rock music during the 1967 - 1969 countercultural era started with the Summer of Love and ended tragically just two years later. We'll explore cultural and political events of the time from the Monterey International Pop Music Festival, through the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, and ending at the Altamont Speedway Festival. While Monterey introduced the world to many soon-to-be famous performers, Woodstock gave its name to a generation, and Altamont brought the era of love and trust to a sad end. Join the conversation as we recall this seminal time in American history.


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 KU Osher participants.


November 3-17, 2026, Village Shalom in Person
November 5-19, 2026, Lawrence Presbyterian Manor - In Person